Who needs an Explanation? ON HOLD
by Yin03
Summary: For how long can you support a relationship when your lover seems ready to give up? Love is abstract and exists in different ways indescribable. So then would you need an explanation? Essentially AU ItaNaru. Maybe a hint of SasuHina. {SideNote: How & What I write in this story is Deliberate and/or holds some meaning.}
1. Chapter 1 - Hasty Retreat

_**EDIT: RE-WRITTEN BECAUSE I CAN. I ADDED AND CORRECTED A LOT OF STUFF. OBVIOUSLY WHEN I RE-READ THIS AFTER SOME TIME I'LL ATTEMPT ANOTHER REWRITE BUT FOR NOW I'M HAPPY WITH THIS. HOPE YOU WILL BE TOO. THANK YOU AND HAPPY READING!**_

**A/N:** Hullo, people! No hate please. That aside, this is my first Naruto fanfic that I felt brave enough to post on this site. Read &amp; Review. All chapters have been re-edited but if you still find some silly mistakes or typos, I'd appreciate volunteers for a Beta reader. That is all. Thank you for reading.

P.S. I'm just gonna let the plot go with the flow. Remember, Everything is written for a reason. But suggestions are always welcome. I know the characters maybe a little OOC but bear with me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any other relative characters portrayed in this fanfic. They are all property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** This fic contains Yaoi(more like Shounen-Ai until I warn you..), basically ItachixNaruto with a li'l bit of SasuxHina (afterwards). **You no like, you no read.**

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**Chapter 1** ~ _Hasty Retreat_.

Hasty footsteps breached the silence filling the stringent street atmosphere. Fading neon signs and dimly lit cafes lining the streets illuminated his silhouette making way on the pavement. The lone figure broke into a run, passing curious glances of anonymous faces. He clutched the box closer to his chest. He would slow down but he saw no reason in his current situation. Wind swept shaggy blond hair hid the welling of emotions in azure eyes.

He ran to the curb of the street, wiping an escaping tear running along the curve of his whisker-scarred cheeks with his shirt sleeve. It only stung of reminders; faint whispers of memories echoed through the chaos in his head. How his much-loved would call him a fox, with those identical whisker-like marks on his cheeks. He used to hate the indentations but it was funny how simple adoration on Itachi's part made him change his mind.

He picked up his pace, heading for his own apartment, probably dusty from the lack of residence for such a long time. It wasn't that he didn't miss his own home but, he would miss the comfort and satisfaction of waking up in _his_ arms even more, as much of a faint memory as that was.

"Damn him, damn this stupid love, damn these emotions.." The blond punched the apartment wall outside, punctuating the sentence with each punch. Every expression left trembling lips through a raspy breath. But he couldn't take rest until some of the red brick tincture grazed his knuckles stinging the already forming red bruise. He retracted after a moment's pause, welcoming the flood of pain. The blond tried to calm down.

His mind felt clouded as he leaned his head on the wall for much needed support. He thought of calling someone but this wasn't the time to trouble anyone, besides, they would just point towards the obvious. He looked up towards the skies for some sense of clarity and closed them in defeat. The first drop of rain on his nose brought a disclosure that cut right through his welling of emotions like a tidal wave. But the clichéd irony of the moment passed him and made him chuckle as he set down the cardboard box of his belongings. He glanced down. All the things he had grabbed in haste, chucked in the cramped space. He gave a melancholic chortle as more raindrops bounced off the pavement.

The blond ruffled his hair and bent down to pick up a single photo. It was encased in a wooden frame with the engraving "Forever is only till you want it to be.'' It showed said blond with a peace sign pulling close a stoic raven crossing an arm around his shoulder. He was all smiles but 'did Itachi ever bother to return the gesture?' He was now wondering to himself.

He might admit, at this point, he was just searching for reasons to make the break easier for him. Itachi was a perfect being, well, on the surface as he was mostly a cold emotionless bastard. But that wouldn't explain why the blond would fall for an ice figure. It was true that it was hard to elicit emotions out of the elder Uchiha but he could clearly see the depth of his emotions reflected in those ebony irises that were famous for stone cold glares.

He flipped the frame and took the photo out, folding it to deposit inside his jacket pocket for an odd keepsake. He stood there marvelling at the moment before heading inside. "It was a long time coming". His silent whisper was vanquished by the downpour on the streets.

…

He wiped his feet on the orange doormat and flicked the light switch upon entering. The apartment was neat and cozy but the furnished apartment felt dusty due to being unoccupied for the past year. He wondered briefly why he still paid rent until he remembered that he owned it. 'Well, so much for that.'

He stripped off his dripping clothes in distaste heading for the shower. The blond was still troubled by his thoughts, he hoped the cold water would cleanse the despair but he knew it would take time. The radio he turned on was sweeping him in songs of bad breakups with lyrics that only infuriated him in his vain process of not quite denial but for overruling his weak attempts of wanting a patch up, wanting an explanation for what could not be unseen. 'Who would need an explanation for the obviously evident?'

He did not care if the bastard was the CEO of Uchiha Corps., one of the leading companies of the modern world. He did not care even if he knew that he had not heeded the warnings beforehand. It still amazed him though, how one thing could set everything else in place. It was like being bathed in a new light that made everything clear to him. Previously he thought relationships, at least long term; stable ones were all about compromise and adjusting according to your partner's needs. But now he felt the heaviness crashing down on his shoulders, he could never handle it, not in this façade.

The blond stepped out of the shower and tuned down the radio, muscles on his lean frame contoured his tanned chest, ending the cabaret at the orange towel he held around his waist. Holding his previous thoughts, the blond grabbed the phone on the kitchen wall with his free hand and dialled a familiar number.

A single pause, then he spoke carefully, steeling his resolve.

"It's Naruto."

He waited for the secretary to forward his call to a person he would have to confess to now.

"Naruto..?" There was a pause and rustling of papers. "Are you okay, what happened?" Minato took one worried glance at the time displayed on his laptop. It was day outside.

"Oh, it's nothing dad, just.." He sighed; there was no going back now. "You were right."

There was a slight chuckle in response. "In all sincerity, you did try your best. It's just the free life is not for everyone, and it's time you come back, then?" The question hung in the air.

"Are you asking if I'm sure about it?.." There was a slight hitch in his response.

In the silence that caved in on Naruto, he saw a glimpse of the scene that broke it all down. What he went through and what his dad didn't know.

'Itachi was in a pristine café, sitting across from a beauty of a woman who was smiling at him earnestly.' However what made him ache wasn't her but the small smile fixated on the raven's face.

Naruto was just innocently strolling by on his day off from his cover desk job and making rounds of the art studios. Hands shoved inside his pocket, wondering if he should treat himself to something sweet. He had just turned to see beyond the takeout counter adjoined to the glass at the entrance of the café when he saw it.

Oh how he thought that he was the only one entitled to any true emotion from his boyfriend of more than a year. All this time, he had tried his best, despite their jagged edges, to fit together perfectly. Just the thought of him even entertaining someone else with his company or something trivial like a date when he was still the one whom he snuggled up to late was simply intolerable to him. It broke what they held together dearly, yet carelessly.

The blond felt shaken up and broke into a run leaving his cupcake order; he rushed to their shared apartment to gather a few things. Next thing he knew he had circled his solo apartment street twice before it dawned on him. Well, more like crashed on his paradise, shattering every inch of his strongly upheld illusions.

From the casual talks intercepted by business phone calls to the evening walks and movies cancelled one too often due to appointments. The nights he would lie awake in constant worry in lack of a simple phone call, waiting for him to come home. But he would dab at his tears too swiftly at the ring of their doorbell; too quick for him to notice. Too quick for him to know when or how bridge the growing gap between them even if his tears left moisture on his shoulder from a needy hug upon his arrival.

He was shifting and changing, excusing the interruptions or delays as a temporary thing, reformed his schedule from his job to make more time. He told Itachi to, and he thought he did too because he saw him more often, working at his laptop or compiling documents, glancing at him with a small smile through his coffee breaks and that would put Naruto's heart at ease. Maybe, this had hope; this could work out after all. But all that collapsed into a self-made grave when he saw Itachi sharing smiles with that woman. That was the last straw for him; he wouldn't even bother with an explanation for it. He was too broken to comprehend the hurt even though he knew inside; he was reaching his limit soon.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Naruto murmured, determined in his sad recluse.

"Okay, then I'll tell Hinata-chan to forward the new address and the tickets. See you soon, son." Minato knew his talk with Naruto would have to wait for now. He was afraid of this but he could only wait.

"Yeah. Later, Dad." The blond was clutching the phone too hard with unnecessary force but the disconnected tone brought out a single tear from the breaking dam of emotions inside him.

He stood there for what seemed like hours before he wiped off non-existent sweat from his forehead, still clutching his towel weakly with one hand. "So it's really over, huh!?" He mused on his way to the bedroom where he changed into comfy boxers and tried to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2 - Atleast

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any other relative characters portrayed in this fanfic. They are all property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** This fic contains Yaoi, basically ItachixNaruto with a li'l bit of SasuxHina (afterwards). **You no like, you no read.**

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**Chapter 2** ~ _Atleast_.

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Night came and went but Naruto just watched the sun rise from his bed. He barely got some sleep with forbidden thoughts plaguing him in his helplessness. He remembered the empty place on his bed. Normally, when he woke up he'd at the very least find Itachi reading the newspaper with a cup of hot beverage and glance at him in a way that made him mushy. Well, at least he got to snuggle close when he came home late. Right now, he felt too fatigued and lazy to even wake up, never mind his morning routine but a sudden thought anomaly charged his nerves as he sat up.

But No! He wasn't getting up for anything or anyone. 'I wouldn't get back with him even if he comes here right through that blasted door!' He gave himself a firm nod crossing his arms across his chest in approval, and then a thought crept in.

'What if he really does come in through the door?' Fixated with a look of shock on his face he slapped himself mentally for such a blonde move. This was the worst breakup ever, even though he was the seeming victim here; even if he left without a goodbye note or a call and just hauled his ass out the door. 'Well, serves him right.' He tried to smile in an evil manner but he gave up rather quickly; he couldn't. "Curse my goodwill." He grumbled at his misfortune as he paced the room, oak floorboards creaking beneath his feet. 'There's only one solution', he stopped pacing to stare at the reflection in the mirror.

The person in front of him had a dishevelled appearance, in more ways than one. His hair was its natural mess reflecting in the window-filtered sunlight but his messed up face gave it all away. He had bags underneath his eyes and his eyes were still a bit puffy and red from crying. He glanced momentarily at the somehow still damp pillow and then his alarm clock which read - 09:07 AM. He was engorged in short lived relief. Then he remembered his phone call yesterday, 'I had a flight today, Crap! Crap! Crap!' He lit up like a frenzied firebug on the fourth of July. He scrambled towards the shower, minutes later he was out and fixing himself something to quieten his grumbling stomach.

'I need help', he thought absentmindedly scratching his head while pouring hot water for his daily dose of insta-ramen.

He was just about to take the first bite (or slurp) when the phone rang. If he wasn't already in anxious gloom, Naruto would never admit it but he jumped at the loud intrusion. Treading slowly, but carefully he got up from where he deposited himself at the sofa and picked up the receiver, fingers crossed he won't hear the voice he was dreading.

"Dobe." There was the trademark Uchiha grunt.

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief but a wave of disappointment guiltily washed him over.

"Sasuke." He uttered in grudging demeanour.

The lack of an equally insulting response irked the duck-butt raven but he continued in his mocking tone.

"Hn, you ran away didn't you?"

"What? Pssht, Teme! What made you think that?" He walked up to the window and peeped out. Once he felt safe, he continued. "Uzumaki Naruto never RUNS AWAY from any unfinished business, believe it!" The blond gave himself a pat on the back for pulling that off but he was cut short with a blunt reply.

"The fact that I'm calling at your apartment phone and you picked up, because your phone is, 'conveniently', switched off is proof enough." Sasuke was getting worried but he was annoyed just as same.

"Fine! So maybe you're right but I'm still not running away. I just..know how it is now. It's better this way. I'm heading back to Konoha today. Dad's there right now." With each word, Naruto could feel his spirits dampening. He ran his free hand through his hair and bit his lip for a response he could not predict.

The Uchiha sighed in response. "So I guess it's permanent this time, huh!?"

"..Yeah."

"You hesitated."

"No, I was checking my flight, lay off! As it is, Dad's not gonna let me live this one down. He won the bet anyway." There was a sigh of defeat.

This caused Sasuke to snort. He'd have to ask him about this _bet_ later on. "No backup plans?"

"None."

"Well, if it makes any difference, I have a feeling Mom's going to make me head there too, soon enough."

"Oh, Mikoto hasn't quit on the 'prospective' bride thing, has she?"

"You bet. So, tell me you didn't leave a note. My brother may be an emotionless bastard on the surface but he's still human."

"Yeah, Yeah, No...I will call him..as soon as I.." He trailed off looking at the jacket on his couch that held the photo...only.. 'Wait, crap!' The jacket wasn't there he had put it in to wash since he was leaving today. 'The photo!' The blond felt tempted to leave the phone but something held him back.

"I'll call him when I'm at a safe distance. Don't ask, you already know why."

Sasuke nodded silently then remembered he was on the phone. "Yeah, but don't forget and see you soon."

Sasuke clicked the end button; this was probably for the best. He remembered those handful times when Naruto 'ran away' and stumbled at his doorstep, not being able to take the relationship anymore. A cup of coffee and a series of rants later, he would be lured back in unconsciously by a reminder of his brother's hidden truths.

He felt an oncoming flashback –

…

It was late night and Sasuke was heading to sleep after his night routine when someone decided to abuse his doorbell, raping his ears in the middle of the freaking night. The raven haired Uchiha knew there was only one person who would do so and it was the second time this month. He sighed stepping towards the front entrance and held it wide open. Naruto fell through the door, not expecting it to give way when he was about to shove through, it was possible, he knew, doesn't matter if he'd have to break 2 inches of hardwood. He cursed his luck.

"Not again, Naruto." Sasuke huffed at the blond who was lying flat on the floor, his feet behind the threshold, staring at the carpet at eye level, finding it oddly intriguing in his state of helplessness. Sasuke stood next to him crossing his arms against his chest, daring him not to move.

Moments later, the blond raised one hand up requiring assistance from his stupidity. "A little help here?"

He helped him up nevertheless but he wasn't blinded by his usual thousand watt smile. He shot him a glare but the blond was pretty much immune to it now. He knew he had to get to the bottom of it as usual and get it over with so he could get some sleep so he proceeded to brew coffee for him.

Soon enough, both of them were settled with their tea and coffee in the living room. Naruto was tracing his cup with a finger, he looked crestfallen. The Uchiha host was thinking of what to say but he made it easier for him.

"'suke, am I being an attention whore?" Sasuke was glaring at the needless slur of his name but took a sip from his twinning's tea. He knew better than to answer that rhetorical question, he sat as a silent spectator to this unfolding disaster that eventually blew up in his face.

"I mean, ever since I fixed my schedule. I thought we'd have more time for each other. But Itachi started coming in later than usual since last week, I know he has 'important business things' but I'm not a goddamn trophy wife. I still wait for him you know, every night, but would it hurt to show up early every once in a while. …Was this a mistake?" The last words were hard to decipher.

'Coming to my house? Yes, indeed.' Sasuke was thinking to himself but seeing the blond's face broke his chain of thoughts. "Huh!? Oh no, you know better than that, Naruto..."

"Yeah, I know he has these hectic weeks but the man never takes a vacation, I mean, NEVER." He was pouting now and held the coffee to his lips but hissed when it burned his tongue. He put it back down.

"But then I think, maybe I should think of a better way instead of ranting about it. It's not like he's married to me...he obviously still likes me enough to see my face each day and smile back ..and.." This time Naruto took a daring sip and gulped twice or thrice, steeling himself from the extremity. Sasuke watched him in cloaked amusement.

"I think I should find us a way out of this rough patch, yeah?" He looked to his best friend who gave him an affirmative nod. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you mocking me?"  
"Would I?" The raven haired mumbled shifting his gaze elsewhere and taking a sip of his beverage.

The blond ignored it and continued mining for his epiphany in that dark cave of doom he referred to as his life. "I should just talk to him and set this straight!" He sat up in joy like he had struck Gold.

Sasuke recalled more ranting and blabber after that that resulted in him waking up late for his business meeting next day. He also remembered pushing him out his house with a shove never too hard, blue eyes beaming with their usual confidence and spontaneity. He smiled remembering the enthusiasm signatory of his best friend, the blazing ball of sunshine; Naruto Uzumaki. Even as he stood on his doorstep then, "I will turn this around, Believe it!" He was flashed his thumbs up sign and last thing he remembered was slamming the door on his needless cheerfulness at 1'o'clock on a weekday.

Coming back to the present as the flashback faded – He shook his head in amusement. Well, he won't be able to run back now, he seemed unusually decisive. He would probably blow his cover after 2 years but who cares now? It didn't matter anyway.

…

"Sasuke dear.." A voice derailed his train of thoughts. "Be right there, mother."

His eyes did a mental roll and he walked to the source of his voice, giving in to another one of his mother's antics.

Naruto was scurrying back and forth like a mouse...it was 11:30 and his flight was scheduled at 12:15. Even though it was a 10 minute drive to the airport he had to hurry. He had ditched his normal laid-back attire for a proper one when he remembered he still had to evade any attention from the press. He was getting really tired but he figured he could always compromise. Hence, he decided to throw on an Orange hoodie and ripped denims from his chaos-closet. He slipped on his favorite pair of checkered Vans and grabbed his Ray Bans on his way out of the bedroom, checking one last time in the mirror to tame his hair from their usual state of disarray. 'At least my eyes will be covered', he beamed at his sullen reflection.

Naruto had set his suitcase in the living room and was busy still stuffing it with a few add-ons in the out pockets when someone knocked on his door. He stared at the ornate doorknob as it began turning in slow horror. When the door opened he was still debating if he should jump out and escape through his window, 'the ground wasn't that far off anyway, was it?'

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**A/N:** Can you guess who that is?


	3. Chapter 3 - Love runs out

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. I try but I can't re-read and re-read. Not always anyway. Hopefully, by the next two chapters, I'll be done with setting the emotions of the main characters and then I can proceed further with the plot. 'cause believe me..I got things planned, big things *evil laughter* (No one's dying though) Yeah, Read and Review if you like, or just to let me know something. Suggestions are welcome. Have a Nice Day! :]

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. *looks both ways* Nope, I don't own nothin'.

**Warning:** This fic contains Yaoi, Essentially AU ItaNaru with a hint of SasuHina. **You no Like, You No Read!**

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_Previously:_ Naruto had set his suitcase in the living room and was busy still stuffing it with a few add-ons in the out pockets when someone knocked on his door. He stared at the ornate doorknob as it began turning in slow horror. When the door opened he was still debating if he should jump out and escape through his window, 'the ground wasn't that far off anyway, was it?'…

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**Chapter 3** ~_ Love runs out._

Outside the quaint apartment, a slim blond figure stood holding a cardboard box; he tried knocking then remembered that the door was always open. So he walked in to behold an unexpected sight.

"You know, from one blond to another…never leave your stuff 'outside' the apartment, Naru-chan." He raised up the box in question, pushing himself through the door.

Naruto meanwhile had tried to escape but only to trip on the table in his way so he quickly reclaimed his previous position near the suitcase and bag. He had an anxious look on his face when the door swung open.

"Oh, Deidara-nii!'' He smiled in a genuine response but stared at the box in his hands in disdain.

Deidara returned the smile but did a double take at the response and set the box down on the nearby plush sofa gently. He kicked the door close behind him with his foot and walked towards the kitchen. However, he didn't fail to notice the packed suitcase and decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"You're leaving town?'' He grabbed two cans of grape soda and offered the evidently troubled blond a drink.

Naruto graciously accepted it and pressed the cold can to his cheek. Deidara knew about Itachi and Naruto's relationship so it was no use trying to evade the barrage of questions to come.

"Sort of..'' He watched his brother-like figure pop open his can without safe-tapping and spill fizz on his shirt.

"Ah, shit!'' The elder blond leaned away to avoid further damage. Naruto let slip a slight chuckle at his clumsiness.

He sashayed to the bathroom sink to wash off the stain but popped his head out in the lobby-cum-living room.

''No avoiding my question, Naru-chan!'' He scolded in mock anger but fixed him with a mean stare. The blond nodded in response and raised his hands up in defeat.

"Sure, I'll tell you, but don't tell Itachi just yet...I'll do it myself.'' He tapped and opened his can to take a sip earning an eye roll from him.

"Of course I won't.'' He pleaded with his eyes but Deidara was still curious to the reality of the situation.

Naruto walked over to the bathroom, and stood peering at the washing machine, hands propped on the lid's edge. "I can't do it anymore, pretend that what I feel is mutual with Itachi.''

''Naruto,'' Deidara turned him towards him gently pulling his shoulder. "We all know you two weren't that perfect, but no relationship is...you have to make it work.'' His grip tightened and he pursed his lips. "You always do.''

Naruto turned back towards the machine, freeing himself from his grasp and began rummaging around for his jacket. "And that's just it, isn't it?'' He reached further for a familiar piece of clothing. "I'm the only one trying, does he even care anymore?'' He finally caught it and pulled it upwards.

"Well, did you ask him? Ever?'' The elder blond prodded.

"Oh, like I would get a simple answer from him. I've tried that so many times but it's like he's wearing this impenetrable armour.'' He had fished out the damaged photograph. The sole physical reminder of his feelings for the Uchiha, now scratched and slightly faded. "Him, with his fancy business meetings and lengthy paperwork and class and elegance.. and that.. slow smile. that.. consumes my heart..'' A single thumb caressed the photo held in his hands.

"But he has to take initiative himself, how else would any relationship work?'' The blond had a small smile on his face that made his brother's heart twist as he watched wide-eyed. "No human is That understanding anyway, to overlook dire needs of affection and love.. '' He sighed with an air of finality and folded it once to stuff it inside his wallet this time; away from prying eyes and forgetful circumstances.

And in that moment, Deidara understood perfectly, because, he knew Naruto was a person that felt alive with love and affection. He thrived on it; he would be no less than a caged nightingale otherwise. Deciding to ignore his actions with the photo for now, he chuckled, blow drying his wet shirt, not-so-stained anymore. Itachi would have to deal with the mess he made on his own, he would support him but it was time. He cared deeply for both of them and only wanted the best for them.

"So, you're saying he has a chance?'' The blond hid his anxious glance by grinning, swishing his half tied ponytail.

Naruto raised his eyebrows, his mouth silently closing and opening. 'Dammit, say something.'

''Uhh, I'm not saying anything.''

He snickered off to the front door, tagging his suitcase behind him.

Deidara moved a few steps and stood leaning against the fridge, arms crossed against his chest, blinking innocently.

''And you're off to..?'' He raised one eyebrow.

''I'm going ..to Konoha. I need time away.'' Naruto finished with a secretive grin.

"Well, Sasori needs a place to crash, if you know what I mean.''

The blue eyed blond raised his eyebrows then nodded in approval tossing him the house keys. "Be my Guest.'' Deidara smirked and caught it, barely. "How long will you be gone anyway? And what's in Konoha?'' He stared at him pointedly.

"Konoha," The blue eyed blond huffed. "Is my hometown, and how long...Only time will tell.'' He had almost slipped out the door was stopped by another round of questions.

''I thought your parents were living in America? Am I the only one who finds this so mysterious?''

''Well, Dad's in Konoha right now, even mom! She forced him to halt his business trips.'' He spoke with a brief smile on his face but his eyes reflected a flicker of pain.

"Uhm, you never even told me much, un! Naru-chan.'' His old habit resurfaced occasionally causing him to blush in embarrassment. He tapped importantly at his mobile phone that he'd pulled out. Naruto understood the rain check on details and gave a firm nod.

"Hmm, well Sasori gives his thanks.'' He dangled the keys in front of blue eyes pulling him into a hug.

"Yeah, no worries! Glad that Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze could be of help!'' He winked and slipped through his reaches and the door.

Deidara stood analysing things before it struck him, hard. He tilted his head to the side.

"Wait a minute, Namikaze!?'' He did a triple take at the surname but Naruto must be getting late for his flight. So he decided to call the sneaky bastard as soon as he landed. He shut the door with a slam, only then did he notice the box of things he brought in, still lying on the sofa.

In his ride to the airport, the blond was sure of a few things. He didn't know how he'd held back his emotions up till now but he was gonna keep at it. 'Fight on!' He reminded himself to pump up his spirits, mock punching in the air huffing breaths. The driver stared at him curiously through the rear view mirror and chose to ignore it.

Call it whatever but Naruto was afraid he would break down once he gave in to the downpour of his emotions. He let out a yearning sigh; he was stubbornly staring at their photo in his hands. Even when he thought he'd keep it away 5 minutes later but that was 10 minutes ago. What he wouldn't give to avoid this heartache, he missed Itachi incredibly but he forbade his heart from giving in despite its silent hopes. The second best thing for him was to put distance between them because if he saw him, heaven knows what would happen but he knew it won't be ending pretty. It'd be downright ugly and heart breaking.

He swiped at his phone screen. -No missed Calls- knowing he was breaking so many rules; still waiting for his call. He couldn't help admitting it was hard to let go, there was not one muscle in his body that would protest in running or striding back if Itachi came for him, If only. (Uchihas hardly run).

He kept both things inside his pockets, losing hope for any last minute miracles. He was staring outside now wondering with hazy blue eyes where they went wrong. As far as he could recall, their chemistry was undeniable, was it just the unfortunate circumstances? He still remembered so many nights when he was close in his arms; back against his chest, when they would go out as a couple, sometimes to fundraisers and odd parties, his loving possessiveness and stealing knowing glances across the hall. The comforting caresses when they made love and the feeling he got staring back into those brown eyes that held his universe. He knew they were more or less a secret couple ever since Itachi's father caught wind of foul rumours about the pristine Uchiha heir. Not that he minded, as long he got his fair share of love and time with him. Then his office work increased, he didn't mind spending time at his home if it meant he would get to see Itachi eventually. He didn't mind if he came too late or exhausted for them to indulge in any night activities. Soon enough, the playful coaxing and interruptions turned to glances and affectionate smiles until he even missed his quiet times with him never mind the absence of goodbye and morning kisses.

But he'd still forgive him, if only he reached out. He knew he shouldn't, it wasn't healthy but he perfectly understood business life and busy schedules having such a background. It was the sole reason the blond took his 2 year break before he dived in to share markets and the like forever alongside or working under his Dad. He knew he'd have to leave soon when he went back to his chair of Creative Director and CEO-in-training but he was glad he got to know Itachi; it was the best year of his life. If he could, he would've worked out a compromise but that would only work if they weren't already so distant. Besides, he never told Itachi. A faint smile grew on those lips.

In conclusion, he saw the end coming but he was just blatantly ignoring it. Of course, he still loved him. But it doesn't matter; there would be no more explanations.

He got out of his cab and made his way through the door and to the counter to confirm his flight ticket. Then carefully masking his presence, he proceeded to board the plane. It would be a long flight, 12 hours or so. He made his way to his seat, thankfully in first class. 'Oh that's right, no hiding my name now, well, till 12 more hours.' Naruto felt really thankful for his hoodie right now because first, it was pure comfort and second, he'd have trouble if he was identified. Dad had warned him that taking his 2 year break to 'discover himself' would require him to keep his identity tightly under wraps. He rolled his eyes and kept his leather duffel bag in place and settled down for some much needed sleep. Discreet, yeah, dating Uchiha Itachi was real discreet except his dad didn't know. There was a pit in his stomach, and it was calling him to fall within. 'Nope' he was going nowhere near that pit of emotions. He called the air hostess, flashing her that charmingly cute smile which made her squirm. 'Oh yeah, I'm Evil'. It was just to make sure he didn't get disturbed if he fell asleep, if god be merciful enough. She went back and Naruto heaved another sigh, easing himself. This was going to be a long ride; hopefully thoughts of regret won't poke him anymore.

*cough* "Oh wait,.." The person on the passenger seat was a strange one.

"Aherm".

Naruto raised one eyebrow at the person sitting across from him. Oh right, he wasn't alone on this one. He was urged the strange person before him to speak with his azure eyes but he just stared back.

Naruto was starting to get weird vibes from this grey, or was that silver (?) haired person. The blond huffed in annoyance before the stranger finally spoke up…

"Well if it isn't Naruto!"…

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**A/N:** Ohh yeah! I did it again, i think it's fairly easy to guess who's this person right? Next chapter will reveal more of this new additonal character and whatever Itachi was upto this whole time so stick around folks! At least till the storm hits. *whoops* (Said too much, did I?)


	4. Chapter 4 - Habits:Heartbreak it is

**A/N:** Watch out for deliberate things and foreshadowing, watch out for the insanely creative titles, basically watch out because I'm going H.A.M. on this Sh*t because FREEDOM! My Exams are finally done! (ones that decide my career, my country's fudged up, don't ask)

Actually there was foreshadowing in previous chapters too *diabolical laughter* Why do i do it? Because it makes the reading experience That much more fun! Thank you 'Guest' person for that Review and all you awesome people for the Favorites and Follows...gave me the extra boost to go ahead and post this chapter. I made it extra lo-o-o-ng. Enjoy! I'm not an awesome writer and this is my first Naruto fanfic*whispers* 'that I'm writing down'. Slowly, I'm getting the hang of it. This chapter is more or less from Itachi's POV. Next chapter onwards there will be perspective breaks, obviously. Until they meet, that is. :]

**Disclaimer: ***insert lame but awesome disclaimer with a play on words liek woah Naruto's not mine, even though he be relly fiiine...When did this turn into a rap monologue..okay, ... Naruto and all relative characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto.(stab me if i ever spell it wrong)

**Warning:** This fic contains Yaoi, ItaNaru..some SasuHina (later on). **You no like, You No Read! **

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"_A day without Sunshine is like, you know, Night."_

_~ Steve Martin_

**Chapter 4**_~ H.a.b.i.t.s: Heartbreak it is._

The night before the little blond headed for the airport, it was pouring heavily. Itachi woke up to the sound of pattering rain upon his car roof. He blinked himself awake, regaining his composure; decidedly he needed a break from his hectic schedule. He had never hated boardrooms this much before but he didn't have a choice. However, there was still one thing or rather someone to look forward to; the blond ball of sunshine that always calmed his heart. He found it quite ironic with the current weather.

The disgruntled Uchiha rubbed his forehead with two fingers to relieve the oncoming headache and stared outside the window of his black Mercedes. The 'lunch meeting' was not one bit how he expected it to be. He was aware of his mother's devious intentions regarding his brother's married life; they were always amusing to him. How his brother had managed to evade each and every one of the offers was still vaguely amusing. Sasuke wasn't the CEO but he was the head of his branch; it was time he settled down. Besides, Itachi already knew the situation would come around and bite his little brother in the ass one day. Oh how he would enjoy that moment, he let loose a slight chuckle. The Uchiha's emotion masking abilities were too fatigued but there was never too much damage to assess. _Just the current one, maybe._

The Uchiha sat back, resting himself against the car seat, shifting slightly till he found a comfortable angle to serve his weary bones for the rest of the ride. The passing lights from traffic and vehicles shed light on his aristocratic features, his eyes were normally a shade of umber brown but in his relaxed composure, they were chestnut tinted pools of depth. His eyes were hooded by the raven colored length of hair restrained to the back save for the bangs that escaped, framing his face in the exquisite of elegance. The stark raven color of his hair accentuated his ivory skin in the dim glow of traffic lights and city nightlife. He was a man of esteemed proportions and well aware of his sharp look(s), but he had his own ways of discretion.

Thinking back to the marriage proposal put forth by his father, and the rather forced meeting he had to oblige with, he had found it strange. Strange indeed, he did not expect the Hyuuga family to send their youngest daughter, when the elder one was just as eligible, wasn't she? He was lost in his musing but he did appreciate the fact that Hyuuga Hanabi could hold an interesting conversation. She had outright denied her need for marriage but was rather intent on having a cup of tea with the CEO of Uchiha corps. 'Experience and Intel-gathering' she called it. She was striking in more ways than one, he had to admit but to his father's misfortune his sights were set elsewhere.

If he could've, he would've denied any sorts of marriage proposals or meetings, courtesy of his father, but he couldn't do so where the name of the Hyuuga's was involved. The head had been an old friend of his father's, denying him the right to a simple meeting would be ..Inappropriate. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to approve of anything. He was impressed that the young Hyuuga girl, actually managed to etch a smile upon his normally impassive face but so amusing was her fate, battling with her shy elder sister; Hyuuga Hinata and stubborn cousin; Hyuuga Neji. He knew the Hyuugas were well renowned in the world of business and marketing, spending years in this concrete jungle, they knew every trick in the book. Well, not superior to the Uchiha's obviously; they weren't even comparable. The Namikaze's however, they were a feat that he had to accomplish in the span of his career. Uchiha Itachi, young CEO at the age of 26, was well aware of the expectations surrounding him. Most times, he did not have a choice but being the CEO gave you a new amount of privileges and power. More so, with his father finally taking the backseat, so to speak, he could rein full control over their empire.

He shook his head from those thoughts; he had everything, didn't he? He was a prodigy, the perfect son, most people who accomplished this much still lacked in a single or couple department(s). He smirked at the irony. Too bad, he was already covered on the relationship front of things. He had Uzumaki Naruto, who was quite likeable. Considering his normal dislike of people in general, his relationship with Naruto was what he had needed. Thinking of the blond brought certain softness to his expressions. However, he still did not understand the growing uneasiness between them. Was he not keeping him satisfied? What more could the blond want? Surely he knew he couldn't give him as much time as before. His business required more attention. Naruto wasn't a young heiress or a rich counterpart to his Uchiha self but he had his own allure. With those cerulean orbs, and the ability to understand silent conversations with him. When they met, he had been so much more loud and, expressive that he had to silence him with his lips at times. Naruto was suited to his tastes and quite likeable but he couldn't afford to fall in love. It would be a dangerous distraction not that he ever would fall in love. He would call his affection for the blond something like Infatuation but nothing too serious. He was normally so energetic and resourceful; it was one of his best qualities. Well, that and his incredible stamina. But in the recent months every time he saw him, the blond seemed far removed from his surroundings and pretty tame for a ball of sunshine. Those blue eyes reflected something else altogether but he wasn't questioning that at the moment.

Right now, what he needed was some good sleep. It was past midnight and certainly annoying that his father would call him back only to announce that he had to prepare for an important meeting. Well, considering it was to prepare for their upcoming meeting with the Namikaze's, he had no reason to complain. A tired sigh escaped his lips. Before he realised, they had reached his penthouse and he let himself in as quietly as possible, his eyes were droopy and his vision was hazy. He almost stumbled into the kitchen counter grunting his disapproval. The house was quiet and his normally sharp senses were dulled from the sheer lack of sleep. He had been too busy with office work, particularly on the last deal. 'Hmm, Naruto must've gone to sleep already.' It escaped his dulled senses that Naruto never slept without him. Thinking so, he barely managed to strip and change into something more comfortable before finally resting on the bed. Sleep came easy then, supposedly too easy but the bed was too cold.

He woke up three hours later, he had been zoning in and out of sleep. Begrudgingly, he felt around for a sleeping blond but found none. He shrugged it off thinking he must've gotten up to go to the toilet, but the bed surface still seemed cold. He tried to regain his focus but his body protested, severely. He mumbled something and fell back asleep helplessly.

The next time Itachi woke up it was around 7 in the morning, faint chirping of birds could be heard outside. He urged his shoulders for support, propping himself up on them. He sat up halfway, blinking the remaining sleep out of his trained eyes before he slumped back down. 'So turns out 3 days without proper sleep can really cost you.' He knew then he'd have to ask Naruto for a cup of much needed coffee. Thinking so, he felt around on said blond's side of the bed. "Na.." He jerked in surprise and threw back the covers only to find the space empty.

"Naruto?.." He wasn't here. Come to think of it, the house had seemed pretty quiet even for Saturdays, a little too quiet. 'Did he go back to his apartment?'

But knowing Naruto, he would've left a note or texted him or called him. He got up suddenly, sliding his cold feet into the slippers. He made his way to the lobby and through to the kitchen counter. The lack of a humming blond brewing coffee padding barefoot in the kitchen really got to him. It was almost a part of his normal routine to... occasionally glance at the blond, sleeping on the bed while he read his newspaper, walking in on his spontaneous dance routines while he was cooking, sitting on the couch with him while they worked on their laptops, having dinner together after he returned from work even at midnight. It was all the usual, what was unusual was his sudden absence.

Itachi ran a free hand through his hair untangling most of them, looking down at the ground. He was ready to shrug it off as a circumstantial thing when he saw an upturned photo frame on the floor. This could be what caused him to stumble into the counter last night. He bent down, careful to avoid the crunched glass and flipped it over in his hands. It was a candid shot of Itachi that Naruto had took so stealthily and 'ninja-like' as said blond called it. He had caught him unannounced with a newly bought camera but it was still within Uchiha standards of emotions. Well, if you avoided looking in his eyes. The reason they kept this photo was because it captured so much in a single shot, plus it was a 'fun memory' according to Naruto. But what was it doing here on the floor? 'It must've fallen from the table where the rest of the two frames resided.' Itachi stepped towards the small circular table only to find it missing one picture. 'Wait, a minute'...just to quell his rising suspicions, Itachi traced his footsteps back to the bedroom and found a couple or so things missing. Like the shirt he had gifted Naruto and most of his wardrobe, his toothbrush from the bathroom, Naruto's spare pair of glasses that he kept for when he used the laptop, his favorite stuffed toy keychain of the kyuubi, the pair of extra boxers with swirls that he kept in the dresser drawer. Also a few things that were attached to memories they had made together. It seemed like he had taken everything of importance except, Itachi himself. He chuckled in dark amusement. He had checked all drawers and closets just to make sure and stood amidst the sad truth clouding his judgement. Additionally, the spare key to his apartment was still lying in the bottom drawer. So, he was in a hurry. But why? Where did he go?

Itachi was strangely at a loss for words even after his silent contemplations. There were too many unanswered questions and work piled up. After a fresh cup of coffee and reconsideration he decided to deal with it after work or on the way. He left the broken mess to be dealt with by a maid, he ambled over the broken glass getting ready for work, and he left slightly later than usual.

Itachi spent most of his day in his office, working through his laptop, receiving calls and signing papers. By 12 in the afternoon, he was exhausted but he still had to prepare for his upcoming meeting.

During lunch break he decided to call Naruto, 'was it over?' This would cause a major upheaval in his daily routine but he was sure it must be some misunderstanding.

The phone rang twice, the operator informing him it was switched off, repeatedly. Like he needed reminders. He put his phone down on the desk before him and ran one hand through his bangs, pulling them back only for them to fall in place again. He was getting anxious. He sat looking outside for some needed answers and calm when someone walked into his office unannounced.

It was his old colleague and unfortunately close friend, Kisame. The man had short spiky hair and olive skin, combine that with his bulky built and sharp features; he was an intimidating creature quite like Itachi.

He now stood near his desk smirking at him like a predator. "Okay, just tell me..who stole your glares?"

Itachi was busy in thought so he decided to ignore the source of hindrance."Hn." He decided to bless him with an adequate response. For now.

"What? I haven't seen you this distracted since your first night with Naruto." Kisame was used to Uchiha-odd behaviour.

"Wait, does that mean ..." He scrutinized the Uchiha momentarily then his expression lightened. "You broke up...Nah he just..but what else could be so major," Kisame gasped in mock amusement. "He proposed? I doubt that.." Itachi turned his head and pinned a hysterical Kisame with a no nonsense glare and he backed off with raised hands.

"Woah woah, okay but it's not like I'm the only one."

"Pray tell, Kisame, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"And it speaks.." He proclaimed with exclamation and was subjected to another glare questioning his whole existence.

"You were saying? You know better than to leave me hanging, Kisame." He spat the name with such tone that it would scare the pants off anyone.

"Ehr..that..uhh..we didn't even expect it to last this long, your and Naruto's relationship...we might've made a bet to wager how soon you'd break up." The man had squeezed his eyes shut and huddled in fear of divine punishment from the almighty Uchiha and he slowly opened one eye, surprised at the very least.

Itachi cocked one eyebrow but he was not amused, not in the slightest. He sighed earnestly. 'What was so obvious to them that he missed it?'

"We were surprised you even made it this far, I mean sure, in the start you guys were joined hip to hip but we've seen it play before our eyes so, It's kinda hard to ignore, you know..you, should talk to Deidara." Kisame was pointedly filling the silence since he knew Itachi would never ask outright anyway.

Soon after unnecessary rambling he had left the raven haired man was left to his thoughts once again while his work remained untouched. 'Were they really that incompatible? What did not fit, he did not yet understand but he would try. He had never met anyone else like Naruto, he had become a part of his life and he didn't think he could adapt to this sudden change. But if that's what he wants, what would he do? Would he just let the years' worth go to waste? When did they stop being lovers, the least he could've done was call, and didn't he want a clean break-off?' He sat back in his chair as the sun set outside watching it through languid hooded eyes.

'So this was it, huh.' Naruto would've called however, so something was off. He had decided to drop by his apartment after work to make things clear even though his continued absence was proof enough.

Which is why at Nightfall, Itachi found himself standing on a painfully orange doormat. He hesitated in knocking; he hadn't thought how he would ask him to return or was it really over? Never before had he been plagued by this many questions. He was clutching the apartment key in one hand, leaving temporary dents in his palm when he heard sounds of a door being thrown open and something shifting. He thrust the key in and stumbled as he walked further inside tripping on a box of things…'Things?' He found it filled with all their mementos of their time together, which were now strewn across the floor.

Itachi's ears perked when he heard muffled sounds coming from the bedroom, 'what was he up to?' They sounded suspiciously like lewd noises. He walked carefully to the door that was slightly ajar, he saw a glimpse of blond hair and his eyebrows furrowed.

Calmly, he pushed the door open, only to find a very breathless Deidara sitting atop their red haired friend, Sasori.

"Hn."

Deidara looked up to the sudden intrusion to their privacy and was shocked as hell to find Itachi here. Something inside clicked but he was still flushed nevertheless. To be found grinding on your lover and/or supposed friend in a dishelved condition with his top hanging down his shoulder from one side, who wouldn't? Meanwhile Sasori seemed unfazed by the stony Uchiha and just wanted to continue. Much to his misfortune, the raven spoke again.

"Deidara, I need to speak with you". He refused to leave obviously.

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**A/N:** Some ending huh!? Well, there was more but it wasn't really connecting so I rewrote some. I thought of breaking this up but frankly, the door suspense thing was too much, besides I'm not that cruel. Heh.

P.S. Wait till the real hurt starts. *rubs hands in glee* I'm in the zone. 8)

Simple gestures boost the process, just sayin'.

Later, Gators. :]

Oh sorry...hehe..almost forgot ~

**Next chapter:** What does Deidara tell Itachi? Does Sasori get some or Nah!? Does Naruto finally confront his feelings? Does Itachi finally realize he's a human android? Does Kakashi ever stop reading those perverted books? Does Sasuke even know of Hinata's existence or am I planning to drag that longer? What happens as the meeting draws near? Does this madness ever end?

Find out! Soon enough! In the Next Chapter! *nice guy pose*

DFTBA.


	5. Chapter 5 - Saudade

**A/N:** Now, tbh I was gonna make this chapter longer but you won't imagine the distracting plot bunnies...*shudder* So, I can post them side-by-side but I promised myself not to be sidetracked until this story reaches its turning point. So, yeah. Enjoy. If anyone's interested to Beta this sh*t, come hither. I stfg Itachi's such a Gary Stu sometimes, it's hard to even dent his perfect character. But as long as my lamely reasonable mind survives, Hallelujah!

Oh and Thank you, yes you! amazing person that took time to read this creation..or fav or follow or review..regardless, you have a nice day! :]

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters portrayed in this fic. They're all property of Masashi Kishimoto. I mean, even Itachi doesn't own that ass right now, who am I to even talk?

**Warning: **This fic contains Yaoi, BoyxBoy..yep..you heard me. Essentially ItaNaru with some sprinkled SasuHina. **You no like, You no read.**

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**Chapter 5** ~ _Saudade._

Itachi and Deidara sat on the sofa while Sasori grumbled from a short distance about stupid Uchihas causing stupid intervals in his personal gratification. He had only let go with the promise of a short lived interval.

They sat talking but the blond did most of the jabbering, with an attempt to steer clear of blurting too many details. He had promised Naruto he won't say much. So Deidara had to get away with letting out as little information as possible, he owed it to his happiness. He owed it to Naruto.

When the talking was done, Itachi had a firm frown on his face, the blond wasn't giving him any answers and Sasori was pacing the floor anxiously. Normally, Itachi wouldn't have allowed such crude behaviour in his presence but he couldn't argue against his work cred.

Sasori had just come back from meeting his red-haired cousin from overseas.

"I take it the merger went well?" Itachi raised one eyebrow, prodding him.

"Yeah, you'll get the report tomorrow." The redhead grunted.

"Is Suna that nice of a place?" Itachi was enjoying this slow torment.

"Ugh, all that sand." He was glaring daggers at the back of Deidara's head as if that'd make it go any faster. Much to his shock, the blond turned back from his seat on the couch.

"I thought you loved beaches, un?" The blond tilted his head in a way that made Sasori more mindful of his words.

"Tch. I said I loved beach blonds.." He lowered his head, scratching his cheek unconsciously.

Deidara whipped his head back towards its previous position hiding his flushed cheeks. He begun to stare at his shirt, the same shirt he had spilled on. It served as a bad reminder of Naruto's withheld grief.

When he looked up Itachi was still saying something to his red head lover.

"Itachi-san," The suffix made the raven look at Deidara attentively, scrutinizing him silently. "Naruto will say what he wants to you himself, why don't you reflect on your actions? Maybe you'll find the answer sooner."

With a huff, Deidara closed the door on his face and the Uchiha never quite realised when he got pushed out of the apartment. The continual of previous noises made him shake his head and walk out of the apartment building.

...

Naruto was staring at the back of the seat in front of him, since 2 hours now. He looked beside him to see his former sensei sound asleep. The fact only visible through one close lidded eye. Since the other was hidden quite conveniently by his silver bangs. It didn't help the case that he wore a surgical face mask, the kinds that are supposed to prevent infection.

His first impression of him was of a weird psycho but he was actually a nice guy if not a little perverted with his addiction to those goddamn novels.

He wondered briefly if his grandmother had burned them yet or not and chuckled at the memory.

Naruto's mind wandered to the conversation they'd had before. Apparently, his dad had asked Kakashi, his old friend, to receive him at the 'Hi no Kuni' airport and it was sheer luck that they were on the same flight. However, Naruto had his suspicions, he knew his former professor too well. All those years in his business university studying under him finally paid off for something. He was caught by surprise at first. Since he was too absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn't even noticed his presence. Afterwards, the silver haired man had teased him on now, finally joining the company and how he'd be served with piles of work and little time to rest.

Naruto had reminded him, annoyance in his tone that he was the working Creative Director and he would not be 'buried under paperwork'. He had even spent most of his two years keeping himself up-to-date on the business world. He was prepared for the toughest of meetings and conferences. Come what may, he would give it his all; he wasn't letting his dad down. To that his teacher had smiled through his mask (he could tell) and ruffled his hair affectionately.

But then he had pried a bit on what Naruto had been up to these two years and how many hearts he broke this summer. Naruto flustered and straight out denied breaking any hearts or anything like that. He wasn't a fan of summer flings. This caused Kakashi to raise an eyebrow and ask if he was still in a relationship. The nervous blond had scratched his temple and said 'something like that' but he hadn't broken up yet. The professor seemed to sense something from his eyes when the blond brushed it off saying he'd deal with it later. And he had strangely complied, then decided to take a nap. This brings us back to the staring.

Now left to himself, Naruto sat thinking of one thing, maybe the reason he didn't break up was because he still held hope for them. He had to stop that, it was a passing storm, but he was already drenched by the rain.

...

When they got off the plane, there was paparazzo everywhere. It wasn't every day the Namikaze heir made his comeback; his rank was pretty impressive on the list of world's most eligible bachelors. Especially with his sun kissed skin and gold spun hair. His sapphire eyes that had the depth of oceans were an added bonus. Altogether he was nothing less than a true child of summer; his behaviour was the same too. Everyone who'd met him could tell he resembled the sun, warm and bright, shining with radiance of love. But that was right now, a year back he was different.

Right now, moving stealthily through baggage claim, the blond was trying his best to be unseen or not seen.

"Relax''. One hand reached his shoulder in comfort. But Naruto jumped at the sudden gesture.

"Jeez, don't scare me like that. I'm on edge here.''

Kakashi's single eye was upturned in a knowing smile.

"They won't even identify you, don't you remember how you looked before?'' He looked back with a meaningful stare.

"Yeah, don't remind me. The discovering-myself phase when I dyed my hair black and went all punk rage." He stuck his tongue out and did a horns-of-the-devil gesture just to prove his point. Kakashi merely raised a single eyebrow.

"But I'm different now.'' He shrugged.

"Hmm," The silver haired man was considering it. "There is hardly a chance they'd know what you look like now."

Naruto was nodding eagerly in approval, anything to take off the hideous baseball cap that restricted his bangs.

"I mean, you were pretty discreet, right?"

Naruto adjusted the front flap of the cap. "Of-of course I was."

"Then there's no way they know how you look right n-" They were waiting in line for the final check-up when Kakashi spotted a photograph of a very 'blond' Naruto smiling in his signature style. The happiness was almost infectious. The problem you ask? It was in the hands of a paparazzo, searching frantically for the blond with eagle eyes.

Luckily, Naruto was already near the exit. Unluckily, he had decided it was hot enough to finally remove his cap and let loose his glorious golden mane of hair.

'Wrong move.' He thought, rushing there, pushing shoulders and receiving angry glares on his way to reach there as soon as possible. He was of course, a little late because a couple of them had noticed the blond and they were poised with their cameras for a Photo Op but Naruto was too busy staring at the limo outside to notice anything else. Kakashi quickly strode over and stood beside him, bag hand held across his shoulder.

"And you guys told me to be discreet." The blond muttered in disbelief, proceeding towards the door that the chauffeur held open.

"It's not like we expected you to go totally unseen.'' He pointed behind him at the gathering hoard of camera people.

"Oh?" Naruto turned and smiled as usual, flashing them a peace sign before he got in the car.

Perfect, he was going to make the headlines tomorrow. 'Oh wait.' He facepalmed as he realised it when the car drove away. He needed to talk to Itachi about this before that. Hence with resolve, he changed SIMs and finally switched on his phone after the dreadful flight. He hardly got any sleep, again. He needed to talk to someone, and he knew just the person, though, he was anxious of her reaction to all of it.

Well, he would find out soon enough. He'd have to tell her eventually. It was better if she got to know about his relationship with Itachi through him.

...

It was after an unusually quiet ride that Naruto reached his mansion of a home. Kakashi had gotten off earlier to attend to some important business.

'Probably missed his damn novels'. Naruto shook his head. The car entered through the large ornate gates and drove halfway around a huge fountain. The blond grabbed his duffel bag, mouthed a thank you at the driver who opened his door and finally walked through the doors of his home.

He was greeted instantly by a couple of butlers and maids but he thanked them and shooed them away elsewhere, minding his own business. He moved across the hallway ignoring their shushed whispers and through simple twists and turns ended at his room. He turned the knob and soon after, he flopped on the bed, exhausted and jetlagged.

Everything was the same, same bed, same cushions, same curtains, same photo frames adorned on walls. He felt as if he was the only one who changed.

It was then that the feeling in the pit of his stomach took weight that he felt like throwing up. Right now, he was alone. No one was there to distract him from the severe truth of the situation. But his body was too exhausted to care as he lay on his bed. He stared at the ceiling fan until his vision got fuzzy and sleep took over.

When he woke up, his head was resting in someone's lap. Soft hands were caressing his tuft of golden locks and scalp. It was strangely soothing. He lazily peeked through his eyelids to find his mother's loving gaze blinking back. A slow smile spread across his cheeks but not just because the ends of his mother's long red hair were tickling his chin.

"Hey you, how was the trip?'' She spoke in a soft tone.

"Tiring." The blind replied with a slow smile. But his mother's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and concern.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" On top of her worry stricken tone there was a dangerous glint in her eyes that promised pain if he lied.

"Eh?Oh no..not really.." 'But those eyes. Okay, might as well tell her now'.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

Kushina was slightly surprised but she decided to play along while gently sweeping his bangs from his forehead.

"You can ask me anything, sweetie." There was a silent pause in their conversation as the blond steeled his resolve.

"Well, h-have u ever loved someone.. so much it hurts?"

"Oh sweetie, do you feel that way about someone?"

Naruto gave a slow nod.

"Well, your Dad and I, we eventually knew we felt the same about each other. Although, before he ever confessed his feelings we were almost rivals. And he had such funny ways to go about it too." She laughed in reminiscence of all the times Minato almost confessed to her and Naruto laughed along but it was an ephemeral gesture.

"What if you're not sure how the other feels?" He sat up now, opposite his mother who sat near the headboard.

"Well, you just have to make sure she knows." There was a questioning tone to it and the tensed blond gulped.

"What if it doesn't work that way? This person, what if I told them but they're not sure themselves?"

He was struggling for stable replies, and remained turned away from her. Kushina looked back with worry clear in her eyes.

"Well then, you just make sure your feelings reach them clearly. Love is not like Math, Naruto..you cannot calculate your feelings and emotions or assume anything. It's only the strongest feeling in the world that can overpower anything. "

Naruto seemingly nodded, his head hung low between his shoulders as he stared at his knotted fingers. 'The risk I took was calculated but man, am I bad at Math.'

"I get that. I do, but...How much do I have to love that person for my feelings to reach them?"

He glanced back teary eyed. Those clear blue eyes reflected so much hurt that it made Kushina's heart stop for a second. She reached forward and enveloped him in a hug.

"Oh Honey, if it hurts you that much..."

She was sniffled with emotions as well as she hugged him tighter. "That person has to be emotionless to not see the depth of your feelings."

Naruto felt the air being squeezed out of his lungs. "Yeah, but it-it's more or l-less over now."

Kushina pulled back from the hug and looked at her son. His oceanic eyes were glimmering; she sighed and put her hands on her hip. She towered over him as she spoke. "You better not hurt yourself over this, Naruto..." Then her expression softened a little. "Whenever you're ready to tell me, I'll be right here, okay?"

The less terrified blond had a genuine smile drawn upon his face as he hugged her back.

"Of course, I know that...Thanks Mom."

Kushina knew there was more to this person and the situation than Naruto told her but asking him about it would probably be a bad trip down memory lane. So she decided to do a little investigation of her own. Maybe Mikoto could help her here, it had been awhile since they sat together ...She patted his back, and then pulled him back by his shoulders.

"Okay, your Dad said he's going to be a little late." She wiped an escaping tear. He nodded.

"But that does not mean you get to skip dinner." He nodded furiously.

"Mom, did you.." The blond treaded fearfully.

"Yes of course, I made it myself this time, we haven't had a family dinner in such a long time." Kushina grinned wide.

Naruto scrunched up his eyes and gave a nervous smile. "Hehe, yeah..I'm looking forward to it, Believe it!" The lame power infused 'believe it', was insulting even to himself that he mentally face palmed himself but he was honestly afraid of his mother's cooking. She was a brilliant economist and businesswoman...but a cook? Not so much.

...

After his mom left, Naruto was left alone to his feelings and felt wide awake to the consequences. He rubbed his eyes by the palm of his hands and fell back on the bed. 'What have I done? I've dug my own grave.'

He was still musing at the dark humour as he weighed the chances of him calling Itachi today. 'He must be busy.' A bitter thought passed his mind.

He would never be able to get over Itachi if he kept thinking about him. Never, if he still kept hoping he would come to him instead of the opposite. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing. He turned to face an empty wall a bit far off. And no one else. He remembered those times in bed when Itachi would come home late, he would hold Naruto close to his chest. He oddly smelt like coffee and something bittersweet. But for the blond, there was no better place to be than in his arms. He told himself that if he had the daily comfort of lying so close to him, he'd live with it.

In those moments, he could ignore the fact that he had to leave in a year and work elsewhere. Someplace, he doubted that Itachi would follow him. And if he couldn't work a relationship this close, Naruto wouldn't even dare to imagine how a long distance relationship would be. He was still human, and he could only take so much. He had to stop thinking about him. But if this was what he had wanted all along then why didn't he feel free? Why didn't he feel as happy as he was supposed to be? Maybe because he knew how things really were. Even so, Naruto was seriously beginning to doubt that Itachi ever loved him or held really strong feelings for him. When he was snuggled up close to him each night, it was obvious to him. But so many miles away and out of sight, he had begun to doubt it all.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this was, figuratively, a catapult of emotions being charged inside the chaotic mind of our little blond. Watch these same feelings blow all up in their faces in the next chapter. I know this one didn't have anything exciting really but it had to be written for giving you hints of what's to happen in the next couple of chapter. Pick out the hints yourselves, I'm off to complete the next chapter. I cut it short because I set the limit of 2500 words for myself, trust me, this has about 200 more anyway. Just wait for the awesomeness to enter your lives. Later, Gators. :]


	6. Chapter 6 - How Do you Do it?

**A/N:** Patience, okay. I'm on my edge here with entrance exams. So, here's the last chapter before the drama kicks off. However, remember that we can't all be like George R. R. Martin*grumble* or Julie Plec. So, bear with me folks! And thank you for showing your appreciation. I hope you keep on enjoying this fic.

P.S. I had to cut it short because it's already been more than 3 days before I updated. Hence, don't kill me if this looks like a filler. Things here do matter to give you ideas of what's to come. Also, the title may or may not be a reference to the song by Gerry and the Pacemakers. Cheers.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I'm broke as it is. *distant wailing* Naruto and all relative characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash. Now, buzz off if you not interested.

* * *

_"The only reason everyone holds on to memories so tightly is because memories are the only things that don't change when everyone else does."_

**Chapter 6** _~ How Do you Do it?_

Naruto was still determined when he met his dad at the dinner table. As usual, there were no business talks at the table. They were saved for later as duly threatened by Kushina. Their conversation varied in topics but focused on Naruto's discovery trip to finding himself. The couple was glad to see their son so cheerful and filled with happiness talking of his time away. They shared smiles and everything seemed fine.

They talked about his strange and weird experiences in European countries. All the different cultures he got to see, the kinds of people he met, the levels of PDA and influential experiences like getting that tribal tattoo.

Even Itachi didn't know about this anomaly since he got it in the second half of their crumbling relationship. He needed some kind of strange affirmation. Plus, Itachi never noticed his visits to the tattoo parlour in that shady street because he was too fucking busy handling his business. He couldn't get it in one time and boy did it hurt. He almost got a piercing under Yahiko's influence but ultimately he decided against it after his long lecture with emphasis on 'the pain'. He had a sneaking suspicion Itachi's friends knew much more than they let on. But of course, this wasn't something he could share with his parents. Though, Sasuke knew about it, all the reaction he got from him was a raised eyebrow and a shrug. He had walked away grumbling something about stupid blonds after which Naruto had run after him to clobber him to death.

His mother derailed his train of thoughts through a very dangerous glare that Naruto found himself ready to flee any second. Upon further inquiry, he simply lifted up his shirt to reveal the black tattoo on his abdomen circled around his navel.

"Naruto..'' His mother's voice was simmering with anger. 'Oh crap'

Just then, Minato's cell phone broke the silence through sharp rings. He looked at the glare shifted towards him and cursed himself for not silencing it during dinner time as the stare bored holes into his soul. He looked at the screen and knew he had to receive the call. "Sorry..It's Fugaku."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the head of the Uchihas. It was no secret that they were old family friends. However, the reason for a call did not cease to surprise him. It only ignited his curiosity. He eyes met his dad's blue ones and he mouthed a sorry and as his eyes roved towards where his tattoo was, he gave him a thumbs-up before shifting to his home office. Naruto let his shirt end fall back in place, satisfied with the obvious appraisal.

Kushina's face had softened as she'd decided to let it pass for now. They were done with desserts anyway. She now raised an eyebrow at the blond before her as the plates were cleared away. Naruto gulped nervously and looked pleadingly at the way his dad went, betraying their sacred pact of none-shall-suffer-alone the wrath of Kushina Uzumaki. But this was a good time.

"Did your lover influence that one on you, Naruto?" Naruto knew she had caught him off-guard and to top it off she had a Cheshire grin on her face.

"Huh!? Oh no Mom, this was totally my idea. Hhee-I mean theyy don't even have any knowledge of this." The blond received strange looks from his mother. Judging by her face, she obviously got more answers than she needed. She leaned in to ruffle his hair and got up smiling.

Naruto watched her tilting his head in confusion. "I-uh," he scratched the back of his head unconsciously. "I was in a relationship for about a year or so." Kushina raised her eyebrows, stopping mid-exit.

"It just didn't end well. I suppose I just... wanted more than they could ever give me." Naruto shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to shake off the heaviness he was feeling.

"You could always find someone better. Do you feel like they were the one?"

"I speak from experience; there can be no one better. I just hoped they'd realize the same for me."

"It's okay, sweetie..there's nothing like your new routine to distract you from destructive thoughts." And the grin was back.

Naruto felt the mood lighten. "You know..you and Kakashi say that but how bad can it be?"

…

Moments later as the blond stood staring at his planner and schedule for the week. He sensed a huge headache coming on. He was beginning to realise what they had meant. But he won't back down easy, he had promised to do his best. And do his best, he will. Even if his day started at 6:00 AM with a press con at 8:00 AM to avoid unnecessary interviews, and that wasn't it...he was supposed to get an official photo-shoot done as finally filling in his position as the young representative of the Namikaze's. Well, it looked like they didn't need any brand ambassadors as long as the heir was Naruto. 'So much for Ego boosts.' He felt excited and scared at that thought.

One date, two days from now was circled in red. It read 'important meeting' but that was as vague as ordering coffee from Starbucks. He went through the rest of his schedule till the weekend and found it fairly manageable. For starters, he would be handling the marketing department. 'Sweet! Haven't seen Shika and the guys in ages!... Wonder if they'll recognize me...'

In midst of new found joy, he looked up from the planner in his hands to his Dad's face. He was still busy on the phone with Itachi's Dad. He idly wondered what he would think if he knew his son was not-so-straight and dating..err 'dated' the Namikaze's son. He'd probably get the shock of his life. Naruto chuckled earnestly at that imagined scenario. His dad looked up questioningly. Blue eyes narrowed on equally blue ones. He held the phone receiver by his shoulder and pinned him with a challenging stare. "I hope you're not having second thoughts…" he trailed off.

"What? No...I just remembered something hilarious and…" His thoughts downcast-ed to his unresolved breakup. But he knew he had to try to push those thoughts away so he smiled, unconvincingly, but he smiled.

Luckily, Minato was not amused. "Son, do I look like an Uchiha to you?" He had a tone of mockery but it held a firm beckoning. It gave Naruto a sense of comfort to know he had such great up bringers. Comfort, indeed.

Minato decided it was better to tend to this new situation so he decided to end the call. _"I heard that."_ His eyes widened at the shocked response from the other side and he bit his tongue. "Heh, consider it a compliment Fugaku…"

Naruto watched in amusement as his Dad tried to smooth over his misgiving. "Alright…we'll talk about it the next time, in person…yes, yes…I remember the specifics, don't worry..." The Namikaze shot his son a careful glance, perhaps making sure.

A Couple minutes later, Minato sat back in his comfy chair. He sighed and rubbed his temples for some relief until he remembered who was sitting in front of him.

"Ah! Sorry, did I make you wait long?" He was grinning.

"Jeez, Okay, I came back…can we get over this now?" There was a hesitant nod and the little blond shook his head, he knew he'd be hearing more of this soon. "Besides, I had the golden opportunity to work as a sloppy intern in most of the hotshot companies. I now know from experience how they work and process things. Their efficiency, workflow, organizations, security networks…"

Minato arched an eyebrow, he was slightly impressed. He didn't encourage such undercover missions. He only gave him time away before he became a permanent pillar of the company. He honestly did not want Naruto to be too affected by the long work hours and serious environment, something he restrained himself from as well. Although sometimes, it simply couldn't be helped so he had to comply. Besides, he had Kushina to set him straight, more than often. He smiled fondly at that thought and listened intently to his son as he rambled on.

"…Oh and I think we need a replacement for our Pharmaceutical branch head. Actually, I think it'd be better if you form a separate group of people, handpicked of course, for better assessment in each of our sectors and branches. I think we should partner with the Sannin Corporations in Medicine &amp; Research. Not that Ero-sennin would have a problem with it; in fact he would enjoy the young med interns for his 'research' as well. Naruto added snickering to himself. Minato made a mental note to look into it.

"Were you sneaking around in our overseas branch?"

"What? I had a lot of time on my hands."

"And my curiosity is peaked. That would require you to be stagnant in one place for quite a while…" Minato rubbed his chin in thought. "I wonder…"

"Alright," he brought his hands in between the scrutinizing stare, "Stop, okay, I've had enough of travelling."

"Your point?"

"I'd prefer, if you reduced the amount of overseas business trips I'd be having." He shuddered at the thought of unexpectedly encountering Itachi; he did not have much control.

"Oh? Any special reasons, Naruto?"

"No, father." He shot him an equally testing look. "I just like it here, Konoha is our home and I want to treat it like one." He stepped up to the large glass windows behind his Dad's furnished table that allowed an illuminated view of the city skyline against the night sky. It was beautiful, just how he remembered it to be.

"So anyway," His father swivelled around in his chair to face him and propped his elbows on the armrests interlacing fingers under his chin. "What I think you should know of, is the upcoming meeting that's circled in your planner. If it goes successfully, we'll reap great profits and earn a solid on the market front. Rest of the information will be emailed to you shortly, keep it discreet."

It was Naruto's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"We're keeping it under wraps to avoid it blowing out of proportion." He offered in explanation. "Also, I want you to be at your very best and prove yourself. Think of this meeting as a strong symbol of my faith in you but it's also a test to see if you can think on your feet and make the right decisions."

Naruto nodded. "You are, after all the Namikaze heir and you better hope that trip of yours benefitted you." His dad was basically asking him to gear up. And Naruto wasn't one to deny challenges. "Bring it on." He muttered with an almost hereditary glint in his eyes. "Which company is it?"

"Oh, that's the real challenge…you won't know until the final day." Minato sat back in his chair to watch a look of surprise pass on his son's face. He assured himself he had nothing to worry about.

"Wh-okay!" Naruto accepted the challenge, almost hesitantly, but he did. They bid Goodnight and then the little blond was lying on his bed. It still felt cold. The satin soft sheets didn't help much when all he could think of…was…he shook his head trying to erase those thoughts. He was still tired and his body felt like a stone sinking deeper into the ocean. He shut his eyes and tried to sleep, maybe this time it would work.

His phone was lying on his nightstand, neglected. He prevented himself from even looking in that direction. Evading forbidden thoughts, he turned towards the opposite side and idly twisted the bed sheet around his finger. The blond tried to think of all the reasons why he needed to sleep; he had a busy day ahead of him. He thought of all the work he'd have to handle but all he could see in front him was a flashback of memories. Itachi in the club, the first time he saw him. The second time he saw him at the coffee shop by coincidence. Then, he recalled the little things like him holding the blond close, both of them lying close with interlaced fingers after their proper first time together... 'Argh, I did it again without realising.' He cursed himself and forcibly shut his eyes, mumbling anything to help him sleep.

…

Morning came and Naruto didn't know how exactly he was feeling. He was definitely in a state of disarray but he would make it through. He knew that for sure. Affirming his resolve, he got out of bed ready to make most of his day.

….

_"Mikoto? It's Kushina." _

_"Ah yes, it's been long, hasn't it?"_ Response from the other end of the line brought a genuine smile on the face of the red haired woman.

_"Oh, is that so? Why didn't you tell me before? I would've made the required arrangements myself." _

_"…go on."_

_"Yes, I was wondering that myself. Besides, it'd be good. We haven't seen each other for so long. Though, it's nice to know Sasuke met Naruto in his time away."_ Kushina pursed her lips in contemplation then smiled in fondness.

_"What do you mean? Oh, I'm sure he'd be surprised if he didn't already know."_

_"Oh, alright. See you then. We have much to discuss."_ Soft laughter was shared by both women.

_"Take Care." _

Minato listened intently to the one sided telephonic conversation. His interest was piqued as he inquired Kushina about it. She walked over and while fixing his tie said, "I'll tell you all about it, but we're getting a bit late according to the schedule of things." Minato glanced at his watch as his wife gave one final pull to set the tie taut in place… "Ah—a bit too tight there!"

"I know." She beamed as the tie slipped from her hand and she walked towards the door, heels clicking on the floor. The Namikaze grinned shaking his head at her wife's taunting demeanour.

…

If Naruto never appreciated the free life before, he did now. He sighed as the car finally drove around the house entrance. He still preferred to think of the huge mansion as a house. There was something comforting in that thought. He made his way straight to his room and collapsed on his bed.

He had set off with a smile and returned with a frown. He was slumped on the bed but his knees were still on the floor. He shifted his head partially buried in the sheets to turn to one side and looked straight into the mirror. Weary blue eyes stared back at him. He idly wondered how Itachi managed it. Making new acquaintances and working with everyone as a team was still fun but, Itachi was fond of his own recluse and flied solo. Naruto yawned, 'Itachi, all the work hours and he's still the one my thoughts return to…' He wasn't developing sympathy for him. He already knew his schedule was hectic. All he knew was it didn't have to be that way. He managed to stand for enough time so he could peel off his suit jacket and climbed on the bed once more, not caring if he wasn't fully changed.

…

Naps were for Kids. But Naruto was still pretty much a Kid. The figure by his bed had a notion he was probably dreaming of something he shouldn't be. He was basically snivelling even in his sleep. But had some drool to go along with it. 'Eugh, better wake him up before he gets too comfortable.' And he knew the perfect way to do so, if only he could be that cruel. He would've scared him shitless if only he didn't look so pathetic enough already. And here he thought the 2 year break would end with Naruto returning with an even brighter and blinding aura. He bent low near the edge of his friend's bed ready to coax him out of sleep.

"Naru-chan." He called out to him, almost mockingly. The blond shifted in his sleep. He tried calling again, if he caused a ruckus, he was very sure Mrs. Uzumaki would have his head on a stick. "Narut—", The blond moved again and shifted his arm accidentally slapping the guy in the face. And his brown haired friend's patience snapped. He pulled him by his collar, rattling him awake. "NARUTO! YOU ASS, WAKE UP ALREADY!"

Naruto blue eyes blinked awake to stare back at brown ones giving him a silent threatening. Not that his shouting helped the case. "Kiba—What the f-" He was cut short by the door being kicked open, revealing a dangerous sight. Kushina stood with an evil glint in her eye. Kiba who was quite close to ruining his pants, moved away from Naruto in a split second, raising his hands in defeat. He looked towards Naruto in a silent plea. Naruto shot him an equally helpless look. This was his mom they were talking about. She could throw them out the window right now if she wanted to without so much as ruining her nail polish.

Both of them laughed nervously. Kushina seeing that there was nothing really to worry about, toned down her rage and smiled sweetly at them. "Kiba, dear, please tell me you're planning to take him out of the house?"

"Y-yes, of course! I mean it's like, you read my mind!" Kiba flailed hands in wild gestures. He scratched the side of his head, still laughing helplessly.

"That's great then!" Kushina smiled genuinely satisfied with how things were turning out. Now, for extra precaution, she turned her gaze towards Naruto. The blond was still half sleepy and trying to make who and what of things in his bedraggled state when he felt a tingling sensation down his spine. He turned to face his mother, nodding before he heard the question. There was no tolerance for denial in those eyes.

"You're free, aren't you Naruto?"

"I was just getting ready, anything else? …Mother?" He was laughing with mixed discomfort.

"Great!" She clapped her hands together in glee ignoring their still terrified faces. She was worried for her son; he didn't seem like his usual self. And she had spies to report of his health when he was away. So she knew he wasn't in fact okay. Sighing to herself on her way to her room, she knew she was going to have to talk to Sasuke again.

…

"So you ready?"

"Aw, c'mon man!"

"Hey! You heard your Mom. Don't be such a wuss."

Naruto had curled up in his sheets and refused to come out. Kiba had tried everything to lure him out of his cocoon but damn he was stubborn. He had left him no choice then.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?"

Naruto coughed drily. There was no way in hell he was going out to have 'fun'. In midst, of all this, this…he still had to call Itachi. 'Oh god', it was today, uh, tonight or the newspapers. But, there was no way he was going out tonight.

"Oh! And here I was thinking I could treat you to Ramen but you—" Kiba trailed off looking to the side and watched the blond from the corner of his eye.

"Did I hear Ramen? Man, why didn't you say so before."

Kiba watched in poorly hidden amusement as Naruto skipped out of his cavern.

"Well…"

"Just let me take a quick shower." Kiba was about to question him but okay. It can be a surprise too. Thinking so, he shrugged and sat down on the sofa in the adjoined room.

Ten minutes later Naruto emerged donning a spread collar white shirt, brown loafers and the same dress pants he was wearing previously. This was greeted not so nicely by his friend. "Dude"

"What?" Naruto pointed accusingly to what Kiba was wearing. His brown haired friend shook his head. He was wearing chinos comprising of a black ensemble, focusing on his brownish fur collar jacket.

"Fashion sense aside, dude! I am not going out with you dressed like that." He gestured to the blond's attire. Who was still confused at what the problem was but retreated to his changing closet, huffing with slumped shoulders.

"Fine.." He grumbled while sifting through his wardrobe. He raked one hand through his still damp hair and threw the discarded shirt over his head. He grabbed a couple of clothing pieces and made his way to his friend, changing on the way.

By the time he reached Kiba, he had a fixated frown on his face and was glaring at him through blue eyes subdued by his tousled blond hair. He was wearing a white Henley shirt and black trousers. With a leather jacket and complementing leather boots, he was all set. "I'm not changing again." He pulled out his crystal gem necklace from under his shirt and gave a pointed stare to Kiba.

"Yeah, you won't have to. Now, let's hurry before your Mom shows up again."

"Yeah, yeah. Just let me grab my phone." Naruto hurried after him, grabbing his phone in haste and headed out for the night.

* * *

**A/N:** Next chapter ~ another character magically appears and molests naru-chan. Oh but who's this old friend? Kiba was not thinking straight when he agreed for this...find out in chapter 7 or as i like to call it. What the hell happened to Itachi. Cheers, indeed.


	7. Chapter 7 - Breaking Off & Breaking Up

**A/N: **Yep, so this is early because the last update was late. After this Idk when I'll post. Within a week but it could be later than usual. Gotta gear up for them entrance exams. 8D Alrightey, folks, enjoy. And if y'all think this chapter is surprising...wait till you read the next one. Random fact: I was listening to Tove Lo while writing this. Also, Cookies for people who can point out the references I used in this chapter. R&amp;R.

P.S. I wrote this in kind of a hurry, and I don't have a Beta so yeah...read at your caution. (I'll probably update after rereading and correcting it but for now...enjoy)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own shit.

**Warning:** Slash. Yaoi. Feverish Love. Naruto-ness. **You no like, You no read.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 **~_ Breaking Off &amp; Breaking Up._

Naruto grimaced, adjusting his shirt to reduce how much he was sweating right now. The atmosphere inside the club was hot and heavy. Strobe lights flickered on his face as he watched the mass of gyrating people with scorn. Wait, that sounded like it came from an incredibly pessimistic antisocial being. 'Guess some things are contagious.' He shrugged his shoulders as he sat on the bar-stool, sipping the drink in his hand.

Kiba stumbled up to him. He had had enough shots of vodka to distil his insanity, only to blow it up in his face with him parading around with it. "Dude, that looks like piss water." He was laughing like anything pointing at the drink held in the blond's hand.

Naruto stared at him, unamused for several seconds. "It's called a Tepache, you drunk." Kiba blabbered about something else, and walked back to the dance floor. The blond drank just enough to numb his senses. He did not want to end up in someone else's bed tonight. The thought felt like a sharp shot so he decided to order another round. 'Maybe mixing it up this time won't hurt.' He knew he didn't have much tolerance for alcohol but who cares. He had developed a fondness for the drink during his time roaming the streets of Mexico. That was before he met Itachi.

In that afterthought, Naruto tasted a bitter taste in his mouth as he ordered something stronger. He did need to relax, and it was growing stuffy. He winked at the bartender for fixing him a special drink. She winked back and continued. "Hmm, I must be giving out some serious friend zone vibes." He mumbled to himself tipping back the glass to empty it in his parched mouth. This evening was going down the drain, after having started well too. He thought of pushing through the crowd to get some fresh air recalling how exactly he ended up here…

…

"C'mon man! We're gonna be late!" Kiba was sitting in his black Chevy Camaro. He was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, peering at the time display behind the wheel.

"Be right ther—Woah!" Naruto was stepping down the house entrance and he stopped to get a good look at the car. "That's a sweet ride!" He ran his fingertips over the rooftop, grinning mad as he stepped to the passenger side of the car.

He peered inside through the open door. The interior of the car was just as admirable to the blond who whistled in appraisal. He finally sat inside and Kiba flashed him a toothy grin. "Before you ask, it's all mine."

"Oh, what..? A birthday present?"

Kiba laughed good-naturedly, checking the mirrors. "No, I'm not a fifteen year old brat. I earned this baby, with my own pay checks." He turned the key in ignition and the engine roared to life.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his brown haired friend who spoke with vigour. "You won't believe the horsepower on this baby." His eyes flashed with energy causing Naruto to lean back.

"You know, you better get me there in one piece." He stared at him pointedly, before they both broke into laughter. "Yeah, right." The car took off with ease, pretty soon it was speeding on the highway.

"Where're we headed? And you've gotta let me take it for a spin."

"As long as you don't get it totalled, sure! It's been too long since we hung out." He stuck his tongue out at his blue eyed friend and glanced at him once more before turning his head to the road. "You have no idea where we're headed, do you?"

Naruto simply pouted while narrowing his eyes. "Nope, but I'm counting on getting some ramen." He sat admiring the leather upholstery of the car as Kiba nodded. The city lights were nearing with every second. He could feel his stomach churning, and not just because of his odd craving for his favourite food.

Soon enough, they were driving past traffic lights, green ones of course. Naruto pressed himself to the side window as they passed by his favourite ramen shop. But the car didn't stop there. "Hey! Ichiraku's is over there." He wailed in melodramatic tones as Kiba took the opposite way, heading uptown.

"I promise we'll go there after, but first…"

"Whatever, I was promised ramen." The moody blond crossed his arms against his chest, pouting to ostracize his betraying friend. But he was too busy staring outside, trying to grasp which area they were in to notice when the car lurched to a stop.

"Yeah, real classy, Kiba." Naruto teased his friend as they got out the car. Kiba tossed the keys to a very lucky valet who was still standing stunned. Naruto eyed him curiously and patted his shoulder as he walked past him to step alongside his friend. Kiba simply shook his head.

"The Hidden Leaf? Really dude?" Naruto was grumbling as they walked in passing the bouncer positioned outside the exquisite club. His friend rolled eyes at him, fixing his spiky hair ends. "Don't make any pre-conceived judgements. I think you'll like it here."

After standing around the bar, sipping light drinks and sharing what they missed in two years; Kiba started on his prey hunt while Naruto found a corner barstool to serve him nicely for the rest of the evening. The crowd was sort of mixed, but still better than a college rave party. After an hour he had been approached by at least five people. Two of which were guys. But he drove them away, kindly. Not like a certain Uchiha he knew of. All things aside, he wasn't in the mood. He couldn't even involve himself in something casual when he was so hung up over his ex-not-so-ex unless he called him. He wasn't exactly ready to move on. All because… damn, Itachi was too perfect to give up…'Too perfect to give a shit.' He thought bitterly as he downed another drink almost slipping off his seat. He needed to go somewhere less crowded.

His phone buzzed with a message and he took it out of his pocket. It was from Deidara, asking if he was settled in nicely. He was also not so subtle in trying to make Naruto spill the details already. 'It'll have to wait.' He sighed, texting back something to ward him off for the time being. He was scrolling through his contacts, taking light sips from his sunset shade drink. His fingers stopped when they reached Itachi's number. 'Hmpf' He downed the rest of his drink. 'Was that tequila he tasted in there? Hmm, no mind.' He was humming in a vain attempt to focus his scattered senses. "It's now or never."

The blond tried to boost his ego even though he was attempting something horribly cliché. He was too mature for drunk dialling but he just couldn't bring himself to care anymore. Thinking so, he decided against any more drinks for the night and slid the empty glass away from him on the glass counter. In the back of his mind he knew this was possibly the worst way but he knew - There was no good way to end things, because it was ending after all...

He stared at his phone for a second more before he pressed the dial button. It rang three times. Naruto pressed the phone to his ear, he tried standing up to move in a secluded corner but he was losing his footing. He grunted and sat back down, lightly moving his legs to and fro to ease them in movement.

…

_"Hello?" _A strange sense of relief flooded his senses at the sound of his voice but he shrugged it off.

_"Oh, Itachi? Heh, here I thought I'd have to get through your secretary or someone first." _Because why would ever he be first? He sniffled, suspecting it to be an after effect of the drinking.

_"Naruto, are you—" Itachi_ was cut off, rather swiftly.

_"Ah, save your words. Yes, I'm drunk, I'm outside... but this isn't about me. This isn't even about you. Well, it's actually about us." _Naruto spoke in a lost stupor as he stared at the floor tiling finding it oddly interesting.

_"I'm listening. I hope you're not alone. You don't know how frantic I've been. Why did you run away?" _Even in his numbness, the blond could sense the concern in Itachi's voice. But, his emotions were pretty heightened because of the excessive alcohol consumption.

_"Okay, whoa. First off, I'm a big boy." _He chuckled darkly before continuing._ "And secondly, who said I ran away?"_

_"Well, then why didn't you call me before? I've been trying to reach you since before yesterday. Do you know how worried I've been?"_

_"You know what; I'm not having this conversation right now. You've been worried?" _Naruto choked back his emotions from spilling out in fear of saying too much, he held back. But it was tough._ "One day, what, two days? Without me …and suddenly you're so worried? Don't give me that after_—. " He couldn't bring himself to say more after that.

_"After what? Naruto, at least tell me what's wrong?"_

'Oh, this was too much.'_ "Forget that. You Need Me to tell you what's wrong? Please, if that's how it is. I'm glad I didn't have to see your face when I …" _There was a silent pause on both ends of the lines. The blond took a good breath to steel himself and clear his mind. Honestly, there were more reasons than what he obviously thought of that he preferred to call him instead of breaking it in person. He wasn't even sure he would've been able to break it off. He was pretty sure he would've been reeled back in by him and his—'Okay, this is it.'

All the lightness left his voice when he spoke._ "I don't think I can do this anymore Itachi. I'm sorry but this is the end for both of us. I tried but I guess something's won't ever change." _He spoke bitterly and patted himself on the back mentally for holding back a sob.

Naruto heard a sigh, just barely._ "I—I'm at a loss for words. You have to tell me,…but where are you right now?"_

The blond snickered, half-heartedly but he made sure the raven heard him._ "I'm somewhere far and safe. Don't worry about me. Oh, and if you're really that concerned… you've got the brains for it, figure it out yourself."_

_"I hope you're safe." _In that moment, the Uchiha realised just how little he knew about the blond. Not his family or his …'doesn't matter'. He couldn't let it end after so long._ "Well, I won't know if you won't tell me." _It sounded almost like a question. A plea.

_"I'm okay and I could say the same for you." _He sighed deeply, fearing the impact of those words.

Then he thought of something, almost giving in but shook his head. A weary smile etched upon his face. He thought he might as well say it._ "I love you." _'Idiot, Idiot! Who confesses their true love when trying to break up? A fool, that's who'.

Naruto was still cursing himself, he could hear Itachi breathing through, and it was only way he knew he was still on the line. That was despite the ruckus and loud noises around him. He was on his toes trying to focus his attention._ "I think I may have developed some kind of attachment to you too..." _And his focus snapped_. _

'Did he just say that?' He broke into hysterical laughter._ "You really don't know…you don't, you just…you know nothing, Uchiha Itachi." _The blond held his head in his hand. He felt indescribably weird. At this point, he wasn't even sure if drunk dialling his boyfriend to break up with was a good idea or a really bad one. 'Nevertheless…' He scrubbed his face with one hand. 'So this was the final moment, huh!?'

Naruto stared at the crowd of people in frenzy and made up his mind. He won't give him a chance to recuperate. He knew he was being selfish right this moment but this would be tougher on him otherwise._ "Good Bye, Itachi." _

He hung up. Not quite waiting for a response. Naruto felt his shoulders visibly slump as it dawned on him. But he was still chipper. On the surface, at least. He'd think about this mess later. Besides, it's not like his ex was gonna come barging in here. He had made sure Itachi won't be able to trace him back easily. He took extra measures for it, he was a pureblood Namikaze after all. But he still felt hurt from what just happened. He found he didn't have the energy to dwell on it so he gave it up, for the time being.

_…_

Naruto looked around while struggling to breathe easy. He had been in the craziest of parties around the world from the Middle East to the South America to certain Island parties which were quite refreshing. But a real pain, for someone with low tolerance for alcohol and someone who's also trying to avoid any 'extra' stuff to kick it up a notch. He was never a fan of drugs or anything similar to ecstasy. He did try smoking weed, he chuckled recalling the time when he got stoned for weekends. But, that was not for the best and he was over it. However, as he looked at all the people lost in their own bubbles, he felt incredibly lonely. Plus, it was the same atmosphere from when he met Itachi for the first time. It was surprising to find someone like him there which is why it made perfect sense when he got to know that his friends had dragged him along so he could loosen up. A sudden thought, pierced his remaining composure.

"Well, too bad. I'm still not drunk enough for this." He downed the last glass he would order for the night and slipped off from the stool, steadying himself. He could feel his body swaying, almost rhythmic to the beats. With every step towards the open area, he felt lightheaded and his vision was tilting and hazy. He couldn't find a way across the crowd and decided he might as well dive in. It was incredibly stuffy and hot and sweaty. 'Bad Night to wear a jacket… Oh, there's Kiba!' He saw his friend dancing intimately with someone unknown. 'Poor girl, Kiba gets clingy when he's this drunk.' He tilted his head, scrutinizing them grinding against each other. 'Hmm, well what do you know? She doesn't mind.'

…

Naruto was still lost somewhere in the middle of dancing bodies surrounding him on the dance floor. He was getting pushed around too much. Though, he was happy with the afterthought of having reached the middle of the floor. 'Finally…now to look for a way ou—'.

Someone's elbow shoved him and he fell hard. But wait, someone caught him with open arms. "Shit!...ah" He backed off, as little as was possible, trying to steady himself. Then he noticed the person in front of him and blinked twice. "…Gaara!?"

Now here was one person he never expected to see, especially in these surroundings. He eyed him for a couple seconds; he was dressed rather immaculately in red and grey. A little too neat for his taste. Last time he saw Gaara was in Suna, more than half a year back. It was a strange string of events, but they had ended up becoming close friends. Even If he looked like a panda with his dark liner habits and insomniac vulnerabilities, he was an old friend he'd do anything for.

The person with short red hair smiled back at him. Naruto noticed his face was slightly red. "What are YOU doing HERE?" He spoke loudly and Gaara paused for a few seconds, making sure that was what he heard and simply pointed to the bar in the opposite side of the room. His cousins, Temari and Kankuro were standing leaning against the counter, watching him keenly.

Naruto watched with amusement flickering in his eyes and nodded. He decided that the best way to prevent getting knocked or falling off was to blend in. Hence, slowly but surely, he started moving to the rhythm, gesturing his friend to do the same. He was feeling uncomfortable, the blond could tell even with his level of subdued senses.

However, Gaara's discomfort vanished as he stared into the blue pools of his blond friend's eyes. They were alight with humour and something else. He thought best to join in for now.

He shouted something over the music but Naruto only saw his lips moving. With a crooked smile tugging at one corner of his lips, he leaned in closer to his ear. He whispered carefully. "What's up? I can't quite hear you…" He pulled back to watch his face get coloured a deeper shade of red.

Then suddenly, he grabbed the blond's hips and pulled him slightly closer. Naruto raised an eyebrow but continued dancing and moving fluidly. He knew him well enough for it not to make much of a difference. Gaara leaned in near his ear. "They want me to hook up; I told them it's not possible. A little help, Uzumaki?"

The blond smiled mischievously, he knew just how to shut their mouths. He knew Gaara wanted Help, as in drive them away but he had better plans. And here he was afraid the night would turn out boring. He glanced at Gaara's hands, resting loosely around his waist. Decisively, he slung his arms around his neck and started dancing more sensually. He whispered close to his ear. "Would this help?" Gaara looked at him questioningly with a flushed face but then grabbed his shirt by his chest and pulled him close, joining in.

"Idiot," he whispered in response and gave in to the atmosphere.

Temari stared with wide appraising eyes while Kankuro spurted his drink. They watched their little brother grinding sensually against a familiar blond. But they couldn't quite place him. Well, as long as their socially handicapped brother wasn't sticking out like a sore thumb, they were happy for him.

Naruto pulled him closer as if hugging him, and then started dancing by himself creating his own space on the much crowded floor. The hot and heaviness didn't seem to bother him anymore. And didn't he leave all serious thoughts for tomorrow? 'Then so shall it be.'

Meanwhile, Gaara's mind was short-circuiting. He couldn't even begin to process the situation. The guy he had had a crush on since childhood was dancing this close to him. So close, they were practically sharing body heat. He shook his head, no; last he remembered, he had given up on him. He had accepted him as a dear friend. Then why was God testing him now? He blinked away his surprise before Naruto could notice.

However, it was tempting when the red head saw his blond friend, dancing so close to him and smiling so earnestly. He couldn't hold back. He moved his hands back to the back of his head, pulling him close. His hair felt soft as it brushed through his fingers. Naruto's eyes were closed and his arms resumed their previous position encircling his red haired friend.

'Damn'

Those were Gaara's last thoughts before he closed in and captured those pink lips. He couldn't help it, they were within his reach. Naruto didn't open his eyes but he scrunched them, as if accommodating the new taste before him. Much to his surprise, the blond ran his tongue along those lips before he tugged his friends' mouth open by his chin and kissed him openly. Their tongues entwined, and Gaara tasted an exotic beverage.

'So, that explains a lot. He's not going to remember anything.' Gaara didn't know whether he should feel happy or sad about it. They shifted their positon tilting their heads, exploring new territories before Naruto finally broke their kiss. Gaara was entranced and almost stopped moving but the blond urged him on. He was still smiling, a hint of something devious flaring in his eyes that seemed fiery red under the coloured strobe lights. He stared back in fascination as the blond descended towards his neck, lightly nibbling the soft skin there. He felt mushy.

…

Outside the club, an Uchiha turned off the screen of his phone. He walked in with careful strides and looked around; searching for someone specific when he spotted him.

* * *

**A/N: **This was a long chapter, by my usual standards. Thank you for your reviews and reading. Till the next chapter. (And here I was thinking where's the cliffhanger?) :] Have a Nice day/Night you awesome people!

Also, if you got time, check out the fluff one-shot I wrote recently (SasuNaruSasu). Maybe you'll like it. :]


	8. Chapter 8 - The Aftermath

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. So, blame my procrastination for the delay. Honestly, this was the chapter from hell that dragged me face-down across the globe. Just so I could finish before a month goes by. You'd be happy to know that SasuHina kicks off in the next chapter and *cough* the meeting finally happens *cough* ALSO in the next chapter. I have so much plot points cramped in my brain itching to write that it was tough to write this down because this is like the silence before the shitstorm. So, enjoy muchachos.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Sasuke or anyone else. Although I wish I owned Itachi but he's just so...well, nevermind me.

**Warning:** This fic contains Shounen-Ai/Yaoi or Slash...whatever you call it. Essentially AU ItaNaru with a hint of SasuHina(next chapter, IT BEGINS). **You no Like, You No Read!**

* * *

_Previously:_An Uchiha walks up to the bar like whaddup,,, where my blond bitch at? ...Jk.

* * *

**Chapter 8** ~_ The Aftermath._

'Damn Itachi.' Sasuke put down his phone on the table in his rather small bedroom that he had chosen in the first proper hotel he spotted. 'It would have to do, for now.' He really hated it when his mother schemed on things; it was unpredictable what women could do together. He hated unpredictability. But, unlike his brother, he was not a controller of all things so he let it slide, eventually.

He turned and walked to the kitchen grabbing a bottle of cold water from the fridge when he heard his phone ring. He strode over glancing at the clock on the wall and then he saw the caller ID. 'Hn, this should be interesting.'

_"Hello? Er, Sasuke?"_

_"Yes, who is this? Where's Naruto?"_

_"Oh yeah, he's sort of…preoccupied at the moment."_

_"…"_

_"He's gonna be passed out soon and I need you to take him home then…"_

_"I'm not acquainted with his residence in Konoha,"_ There was a short silence on the line and sound of keys clinking. _"…Where are you?"_

…

Sasuke didn't bother questioning why 'Kiba' couldn't take him home himself. He must be the one too preoccupied. He sniggered at that thought and noted down the address. 'The Hidden leaf Club? What was exactly was the dobe up to now?'

He put on his boots, sitting at the edge of his bed and made haste. Outside the club, he turned off his phone screen after ending his call with Kiba and got off his bike. He removed his helmet and simply glared at the valet, staving him off to wait until he came back. The guy stepped back, submissive to the famous Uchiha glare. 'Hn.'

He walked in to find Naruto almost wasted in the arms of a familiar red-head. 'Gaara.' He braced himself for the face-off he'd have to go through shortly.

…

"Mngh...umpfh..." Naruto was mumbling in his sleep again.

Sasuke brushed forward and measured his temperature with the back of his hand against one sweaty forehead. Dark eyebrows furrowed.

After some not-so-gentle coaxing, the blond woke up. He bolted upright just as his eyes blinked awake. Then a headache took over his dizzying sense. "Whoa…Whoa…what the—" He struggled to keep his eyes open, blinking furiously. Sasuke smirked.

Blue eyes screened his surroundings until they finally acknowledged the presence of someone else on the same bed. He snapped his around to face the raven, leaning away when they met eyes. "Whoa…did we?" He shot him an accusatory glance, narrowing his eyes.

Sasuke shot him a menacing glare and got off the bed. Naruto noticed he was wearing his usual stark attire, 'Meh.'

"Is that really the first thing that comes to your mind?" Sasuke looked back squinting his eyes in contempt and disgust and threw the damp towel in his hands at his face. Naruto caught it just in time.

"Ah…yeah," The blond sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Sasuke stared pointedly.

"What can I say? Not my first time waking up with an Uchiha in bed…" He folded his arms behind his head, falling back on the pillows propped accordingly. "…Well, except you're not gloriously naked and…"

"Uhh, spare me the details." Sasuke brought his hands in front of him, trying to block out the mental image. 'Too late.' He made gagging sounds reaching for his finished brewing cup of coffee. 'At least the Hotel Rooms here were quite serviceable, it was unexpected and nice.'

"Okay, Okay." Sasuke was really melodramatic sometimes, if only everyone knew this side of him. Naruto noticed the aspirin and glass of water on the bedside table and he quietly expressed his gratitude by taking them. He was taking the last gulp of refreshing water when he noticed his phone lying there as well. 'Well, don't mind if I do…Heh…at least I didn't make any drunken calls last night, right?'

He joked about it and scrolled through his call log. "…Fuck me."

"I thought we were over this part." Sasuke emerged with two cups of coffee. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face as he set down his cup on the table. He noticed while gently sipping his coffee that Naruto was in panic.

"No!NO!" He almost pulled out his hair in the same trauma. "I totally drunk-dialled Itachi last night!"

Sasuke spurted his coffee. "You-WHAT!?"

"Ah…I'm so screwed." Sasuke raised a finger to say something.

"Don't," Naruto shot him an evil glare, "say it…I've got Mikoto on Speed Dial."

Sasuke shivered, reluctant to accept defeat. "That is creepy beyond words."

Naruto actively ignored him cleaning up the spill and tried to focus his thoughts. If only he could remember something from last night. Sasuke got up from where he was sitting on the bed and walked to the coffee table. He was still debating if he should bring up the fact that he saw his sloppy self in the arms of his childhood friend Gaara. 'He's a potential rival for Itachi.' Sasuke smirked and gulped down the hot beverage not caring for the slight burn on his tongue.

Naruto was staring at the phone in disbelief. The call was real. And to top it off, he had 6 missed calls from Itachi after that. 'Why didn't I pick them up?' The blond was in too much of a shock that his receding headache was the least of his problems. 'What exactly happened last night?' He looked up to be hit by a newspaper thrown in his face.

Sasuke thought it funny that Naruto looked so pissed when he didn't even know the whole story. "You must be wondering, right?" Naruto clutched at the newspaper that had fallen into his lap. He was almost scared to look at it. "Go Ahead. Personally I don't know what you were thinking but you better be ready for whatever the consequences, especially your 'friend'. If I know anything about my brother, it's that he won't let this go easily." The Uchiha thought it was weird that he didn't receive any verbal retaliation from the Usuratonkachi so he looked in his direction.

Naruto was staring at the newspaper tabloid. It was a photo of him, a very sleazy version of him in the arms of Gaara. 'When did he get to Konoha?' Hazy flashbacks of dancing in the arms of the red-head rendered him speechless. 'Just how much did I drink'? He felt weird all of a sudden and tossed the newspaper aside rushing to the toilet. He threw up with hands clenched around the commode to steady his equilibrium. He felt another wave of nausea. 'Fuck.'

When he raised his head and looked back up. Sasuke bent down and offered him a bottle of water before he pushed the flush. "Gear up, Uzumaki. Rehydrate, you don't have time to waste here. Aren't you late for work already?" Unnoticed by Naruto, he was smirking as he straightened himself and exited the washroom. Minutes later, Naruto crawled out of the washroom, clutching the bottle preciously close to his chest. He had brushed his teeth vigorously to get that awful smell out of his breath and decided to take a shower when he was struck with a short-lived dilemma.

He had tried and tried in between of heaving whatever was left in his stomach, to remember something, anything about the call he made to Itachi. It was a strange memory lapse. '…like he purposefully drank so much to forget all about it.' "Oh great…" He face palmed and was still wallowing in his misery when the doorbell rang.

Both of them looked up in question to the unexpected intrusion. Their Tomato-centric breakfast was already served. So what was this all about? Naruto simply glanced at the door and Sasuke from where he was sprawled on the bedroom floor. The raven sighed and got up to receive whoever would be facing his wrath so early in the morning.

Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the floor in his boxers, resting his back against the bed. Sasuke walked in, he was holding up a special delivery, for… "Me?" He was astounded and Sasuke nodded, placing it somewhere safe. He picked up an attached note and card as Naruto walked over to examine it. He read the note it said the meeting had been preponed to..."TODAY!?"

He tilted his head in confusion and squinted at the clock, dangerously slow, he was afraid to see the time. Sure, he has lost count of how many days had passed since he flew over to Konoha but this was just uncalled for. He felt a chuckle escape Sasuke's composure before he heard it. Naruto had never felt so many emotions at once. It was despair, worry, grief, anxiety, anger and hysteria all piled into one major rolling ball that he was sure would crush him sooner or later.

But, it was only 10:00 AM, thank Sasuke and his early rising habits, he might make it in time. He scanned the note again; the meeting was scheduled at 12:30. It had been preponed because of an unusual request by the other party. 'Well, whatever. They must have balls to even suggest a shift in the time even if it was not postponing which would have been denied, obviously.' His confidence was wavering with every shred of focus he lost and gained. But, if his Dad thought he could do it, he would live up to his expectations.

He flipped over the attached card in his hand, reading the scrawled handwriting of his father. 'Dad's idea of fun must be different than what I thought.' He sighed showing the card to Sasuke who merely arched a prim eyebrow. 'Prissy bastard, he was on the verge of laughter just now.' The card read –

"_I know, everything. Don't screw this up. Have Fun. _

_With Love – Dad"_

Besides, the 'know-everything' part was just scary to boot. So he was going to face consequences for last night but, really, he was in no mood to suffer the wrath of his mom. All the more reason he was glad that Sasuke magically appeared and gave him shelter. 'Wait, when did Sasuke come to Konoha? Well, he did say he was coming over sooner or later. He must still be fending off marriage proposals, hmm…' He wondered to himself as he ran hands through his hair, trying to tame their unruliness.

Sasuke shook his head, watching the blond rush about trying to get ready in 3 minutes. He never thought he'd see Naruto without orange. So, when he stood ready in his midnight blue suit &amp; tie, dress shoes and white shirt, he cast the blond an appraising look. 'At least someone in his family had good taste.' The suit was finely tailored in English cut with peak lapels and one button closure. It fit him snug but not too tight and tapered well across his shoulders and waist redefining his features. 'Itachi's going to be drooling. Too bad our Moms are devious by nature.' He smirked and jingled his car keys and the blond's eyes snapped to attention. It was a good idea to have his car brought to him earlier.

Before 10:45 they were racing down in the Uchiha's Aston Martin DBS. It was black like his raven heart, much to the blond's amusement. Naruto was fidgeting with his tie in the rear view mirror, twisting it to his convenience when a very annoyed Uchiha turned it back. Naruto reached out again with almost equal annoyance plain on his face but his best friend's trademark glare made him sit back and settle for the side view mirror.

"Just get married or whipped already..." He was grumbling and Sasuke grunted his annoyance. "…or Both!" He shot him a menacing glare to shut him down but he had to keep his eyes on the road.

"Just be thankful I rescued your ass, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke was getting tired of his mother's antics. She had set him up for meetings with two girls in the past 3 months, both of which were distasteful and only fawning on his money and looks. He was tired of this endless charade.

"Let me finish, bastard. I might have a prospective bride in mind." He looked to the driver's seat but the Uchiha just looked ahead, showing no interest. He was about to slap a response out of him when he finally spoke.

"They day I go on a blind date suggested by You…is After you talk face-to-face with Nii-san." And the smirk was back on his face, taunting Naruto.

"Challenge…considered." He turned his head facing forward and pouting in arrogance. Here he thought he could escape his plaguing thoughts of Itachi. 'Damn it.' He brought his fist down on the dashboard of the car. It earned him a stern glare, for the fourth or was it the fifth time? He exhaled softly. He had broken up with him, not in person but the deed was done. 'There was no going back now, was there?'

Naruto was lost in thoughts as he saw the scenery speed by as they steered deeper into the concrete jungle. The meeting was the least of his problems as it was. He'd have to apologize to a lot of people for last night. For starters, Gaara… then his parents, well especially Mom. He cringed at the thought of how exactly it was going to play out – with him being chased across the streets of Konoha, that's how…probably with a chainsaw ready to shred him to pieces.

He shook his head to clear out that vivid prediction but out of all people, he needed to apologize to Itachi. They weren't in a relationship but this was not a quick rebound stunt or anything. He wanted to make things clear. If his senses weren't dulled by alcohol, he never would've done anything, at all. He was brought back to the world of living when the car jerked to a stop and he heard Sasuke's voice surface through his conscious.

"Hey, Earth-to-Naruto!?"

"Hm?" Sasuke decided it better to slap him awake. "HEY, OWW! What was that for, bastard?"

"Dobe, we're here. Get Off so I can go to work." He pointed behind him at the office entrance and the blond smiled sheepishly. His cheek felt sore so he rubbed it as he stood to soothe the receding pain. He was still waiting for the Uchiha to drive off. 'Damn Bastard… Wait.'

He leaned inside the car and said, "Actually, would you mind seeing me later? I want to talk to you about something?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"Then say it." He slid his shades down and eyed him wryly.

Naruto scrunched up his face in annoyance. "No, it's not so simple. I'll text you the reservations just make sure to be there."

"Hn."

"Yeah, see you later." Naruto smirked watching his car leave tire trails on the road and left with a satisfying afterthought. He walked in assuring himself of just how efficiently he was going to handle the stares and the gossip. By now, everyone must be aware of his nightly adventure, with it being the topic of today's gossip by every office corner and coffee break. He'd try his best.

Thinking so, Naruto huffed ushering some spilled self-confidence inside, he avoided strange looks from the security guard and brisk-walked past the receptionist, smiling brightly he made his way to the elevator. He stepped inside and knew he made a mistake. He was late, alone in the elevator which made him slightly claustrophobic. The blond loosened his collar with one finger in mild anxiety. He'd controlled it over the years but being in crowds was better than being trapped in places any day. They served only as reminders of the origin of his scars. He brushed his fingertips on his cheeks; they seemed to be more sensitive in just that moment. The ding sound of his floor snapped him out of his bad reverie.

He headed to his office but knew which aisle to choose that'd avoid any sort of confrontation as was possible. Unfortunately, he was outsmarted. He was looking down and hoping to go unnoticed as he made his way to the glass door of his office but he stopped when he saw a pair of nude colored pumps blocking his path. He looked up to find his colleague, Ino standing before him. She was grinning wildly and smiling quite suggestively.

Naruto pursed his lips as he brushed past her. "Ino, wipe that grin off your face. I'm not dating Subaku…Get over it, please." She stuck out her tongue at him saying he was no fun. He shook his head and told her the files he would need to be delivered to his office.

Chouji who was sitting nearby spoke without shifting his eyes off his screen. "Man, you must be lucky. You bagged a Subaku and an Uchiha…" Naruto raised his eyebrows and Shikamaru who was sitting nearby with his feet propped on the desk, coughed loudly. He watched the blond silently.

"I mean Ino was blabbering about how Uchiha drove you to work, right? Unless you guys had a threeso—" Naruto clamped his mouth shut before he could say any further. Chouji stared at him with wide brown eyes and he slowly removed his hand daring him to speak any further.

"Of course NOT!" He knew word of this got around, Sasuke would have his hide. He'd probably use him as an example for deviants who'd never again dare to do such a thing as distort his stoic Uchiha image. He hushed the both of them away to work. 'They'll need to have extra preparation for the meeting which would be in less than an hour.' He glanced nervously at his watch and faced Shikamaru who spoke carefully. "So it's not Sasuke, but still how'd you manage that?" The man was clad in simple office attire and had his short hair bunched up in a sharp ponytail. Naruto could only stare frozen and wide eyed before his blue eyes blinked away his shock. He realised that Shikamaru already knew more than even he knew himself, being a natural genius. But his pride wouldn't allow him to say it, now that 'they weren't even together…'

"It's nothing. Absolutely Nothing. Nothing that matters anyway…" He backed away to the safe confines of his office bumping into a plant on his way and then clumsily setting it straight as well as himself. He spoke with wild hand gestures, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do and suspicious glares to suffer." Shika stared at him in confusion then turned away mumbling something about troublesome blonds. He warded him off with a thumbs-up and got back to his analysing job.

…

Several minutes later, when Naruto stepped into the meeting room he was met with an air of relief. 'Maybe it won't be so bad after all.' He looked around to the few seats and projector set up by his team; it looked more like a casual affair. The blond took his seat, hoping for a smooth proceeding when he saw the files on the table with a familiar symbol. It was the Uchiha fan of white and red, he stood up from his seat in disbelief. 'What? Silly coincidence? Right? It's not like I didn't consider the possibilities but maybe I'm' meeting their Head, Fugaku-san. Surely not their…'

He trailed off from his previous thoughts as the sound of someone entering the room caught his attention. He snapped his head up and locked eyes with the last person he wished to see at that very moment, Uchiha Itachi.

"Well, fuck."

…

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**A/N:** I know majority of you want to strangle me. It's like my English was flickering when I wrote this. But I get by, somehow...you'll get to see how two couples meet in the next one. And exactly how the fuck Itachi landed his ass in and what was he thinking or doing? Because wouldn't y'all like to know?Or would you rather see him suffer for making Naru-chan suffer? Hmm...


	9. Chapter 9 - Everybody Talks

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. I will re-read and edit this when I post the next chapter so rest your souls. This may seem like a filler but it's important. The next chapter has ALOTTAA dialogues. I think I aged into Shakespeare while writing that. So don't worry folks since the main thing is yet to come. Being the good person I am I decided to post this thing. I had to break it into two chapters. Let's see what you guys can predict. As always...fore shadowing is hidden in the previous chapters as well as this. The title, don't even ask.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** This fic contains stuff like guy love and extreme Uchiha-ness.. Essentially AU ItaNaru with a hint of SasuHina(next chapter, IT BEGINS). **You no Like, You No Read!**

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_Previously:_ "Well, Fuck." (yep that about summarizes it)

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**Chapter 9** ~_ Everybody Talks._

A woman with eccentric blue highlights in her raven hair strode up to the CEO Office of the Uchiha's main branch. She paused for a moment, glancing at the watch. It was quite early in the morning, not that she wasn't expecting the Uchiha to already be present at his seat; he was always punctual. However, the strain of the recent days was evident on his face as the woman entered the office without knocking.

"Konan." Itachi looked up offering an unconvincing smile.

"Okay, I'm going to be blunt about this. From what Kisame told me, I wasn't expecting you to be this bad. What happened to you?" Itachi didn't bother to look up this time and continued to study the documents in his hands.

Konan tapped her foot, waiting for a response. He sighed, "Why do you always assume the worst?" She gestured at the empty coffee mugs on his table.

"You have been holed up in your office for days. You haven't even gone home once, is work really that appealing to you? Or do you not value your life at all?"

Itachi blinked rapidly, clearing any revealing shred of sleep from his eyes. But not one movement escaped Konan's eyes. She was furious at him, he could feel it. "And what's Naruto going to think?"

But Itachi was in no mood to have a heart-to-heart with anyone. He was feeling an unusual surge of emotions restricting his chest. "We're no longer together," he declared while rubbing his temples to ease an oncoming headache, from his obvious lack of sleep.

"Well, are you happy with that? Or have you decided to spend the rest of your life married to your work."

"I…don't know." He held his head in his hands. "I was sure not to get too attached and yet why is it so painful. I should be moving on." He stared at his hands wondering why he could not process the whole thing.

"But you're not happy and you won't be if you tried to move on either. Take my advice, go home and rest." She observed him with keen eyes as he shifted his gaze for the tenth time.

"That can't be done; I have a meeting to finish preparations for." His father had made sure that he made an appearance at this meeting. But, that wasn't the real problem and the person standing before knew it as well.

"I know the meeting is important but what's the real reason?" Her eyes flickered with concern; she knew Itachi could be really dense at matters of the heart.

He huffed, he hadn't had his daily cup of coffee and this was tiring for his body and soul. "Because I can't stop thinking about it, about him." What he never said was how the moment he stepped into their house, all the times with Naruto flooded back and cramped his senses. Only, he wasn't there anymore. He wasn't going to confess that the lack of a certain blond affected him this much. It was beyond his understanding how to deal with this situation and it was for the first time that he felt incredibly helpless.

"If you miss him that much, why don't you get him back?" She said it like he hadn't even tried.

He looked her directly in the eye, recalling his frustration at waiting for his call. "The last time he called me, we broke up. Anything I tried to ask was in vain." 'Maybe he wanted the same thing, were they done for good?.'

"No, before you start churning any absurd thoughts in your brain. What exactly did he say before he hung up?"

Itachi tilted his head, racking his memory. "He confessed that he loved me." He spoke quietly.

"And how did you reply?" Itachi stared back with bottomless eyes. "On second thought, don't tell me. I'm pretty sure it was something insensitive but you didn't mean it…" She waved it off casually and perched her lithe form on the Oakwood table top.

"Forget that, you need to talk it out, Face-to-face. Then you can decide for yourselves." She fixed him with a stern glare.

"I tried to locate him but he went off the radar."

"How is that even possible with your resources? Didn't you trace his call or try to call him back?"

"I called him back but he didn't pick up. I figured he wouldn't want to see me so what's the use of finding him?"

"Yeah, you say that and keep suffering." Itachi looked away at the glass wall in his office, 'the sun had risen. The Sun, Naruto was like the sun…' Konan saw the Uchiha staring off into the sunrise and she swore she never felt such an aura before. Something had to be done, she thought in affirmation.

She decided to make a call to Sasuke as soon as this was resolved. "Did you ever think he wanted you to reach out for him?"

Itachi stared at her confused. "He has a strange way of going about it then."

She sighed in resentment. He was impeccably perfect but Itachi had almost zero sense of real emotions. Especially when it was personal. "Itachi, do you love him?"

"Hm, he is one of the most suitable matches I've ever met. He was compromising enough that I enjoyed his company. I would've aimed to stabilize our relationship but clearly, some equation was wrong."

"No, I'm asking you…do you truly care for him? Do you trust him? Do you miss him? Did you feel strong emotions for him, that'd make you put him above everything else?" She was leaning dangerous close with every syllable.

"My only priority is handling this company. So, I don't understand what you mean." The rest of the questions were answered by themselves. Strangely enough, even though he didn't know of his original descent because Naruto never gave any name. He wanted to find out but still he trusted the blond.

It made him question himself as to why he let a person he knew so little about, into his life? What was this strange feeling of trust? He still couldn't mark him off as a hindrance or a bad person because he was constantly replaying all the smiles flashed by the blue eyed blond in his head. Experiencing just how the animosity and his spark became so silent.

On the other hand, his business had flourished the time they had been together and that spoke amounts. But with all these unanswered questions he felt as if he was thrown into a bottomless pit. He vaguely wondered how Naruto must be feeling.

He did miss the blond; his presence had made his life significantly better. He had provided everything to make him happy. He couldn't think of why he would feel so betrayed that he'd break up with him so suddenly.

"Itachi, your feelings aren't something you can control. Naruto was your golden-shot at happiness. Nothing saddened him more than not seeing you happy. It was the whole reason he tried to keep you happy, he never complained or brought you any unnecessary troubles to deal with. Even though, he missed you so much you were too absorbed in your work…Don't you trust him enough now?"

He knew what she was talking about but it all seemed to perfectly fit, he never thought twice about it. He thought back on the times he saw his smile faltering because of something work-related. Was it his fault? "You know it's easier said than done. I can't trust anyone blindly."

"It's Naruto we're talking about. He seriously loved you and everyone except you knew that. Even Tobi knew it, Itachi." She shook her head, stifling a chuckle. Then, her expression turned grim. "Aren't you afraid to trust him too much? Do you think loving him too much will affect your work? It won't."

"How would you know?"

"When you're in Love, you know." She gave him a small smile and hopped off the table readjusting her skirt.

This gave the Uchiha a lot to think about. But one thing he knew for sure. If he had to confirm his feelings for Naruto, he had to meet him. He would know by then if this was worth betting everything on.

"Oh and," Konan leaned by her arm on the doorway and pointed to a newspaper article she had deposited earlier on his table. "The meeting's in two days. You should get out more. Staying locked up here wouldn't do you any good. Itachi caught sight of a familiar blond's face on the paper as the door slammed shut. He seized it, scanning it carefully.

His gaze averted to the photo of Naruto, where he was smiling as usual but there was sorrow in his azure eyes. 'He was the son of Namikaze Minato.' Itachi clenched his fists, deciding on a course of action. He wasn't sure if Naruto would be in the scheduled meeting but he would reach Konoha as soon as possible. He called his secretary requesting immediate changes.

Konan had told him to think clearly and carefully. She had specifically advised him against jumping to conclusions. Their relationship was hanging by a thread. Extreme emotions could easily snap it. He sniggered; he didn't find himself to be completely lacking emotional intelligence. He was just average in that area. He reclined in his chair with his joined hands in contemplation. Then he got up and went to meet the head; his father, for an impromptu meeting.

…

Itachi stood in the airport, minutes from boarding his private jet with his suit jacket in hand. He tried calling Naruto again. Considering the last call was a drunk-dial, he hoped the blond was safe. This would all be resolved once he landed in Konoha. He switched off his phone and boarded the plane with heavy steps.

He wished he could really see the blond in person again. As he sat trying to sleep, simple glimpses of their past floated back to him – Running his hand through silky soft locks, the feeling of skin against skin, the texture of his whisker-like marks when he gently brushed his thumb across Naruto's cheeks. Silly little things like how he stole glances from when he was reading a paper or that mischievous grin that challenged him or the…He knew he was getting carried away. He needed control, without it he would falter. He slept his way through the rest of the flight so he would be ready for the meeting when he woke up.

…

The clock was ticking but the Uchiha was glad to know he had made it in plenty of time. He reached the office and sat in the waiting room. He avoided his secretary's attempts at delivering him documents related to the meeting. He didn't need to know anything else than what was directed by his father. He knew he was meeting the Creative Director and Spokesperson of the Namikaze Enterprises, whoever it may be. He sat with folded hands in his lap when his secretary informed him that he had arrived. He was more interested in looking around for a blond head of hair that he might spot by chance. He did as much without flaring too much oddity.

Itachi adjusted his crimson tie and straightened his suit before entering the meeting room. He was still representing the Uchihas. This meeting would be a piece of cake by his book.

The raven found himself staring at blue orbs as equally shocked as him. However, he was quicker in regaining his composure. Naruto however was frozen on-spot. His brain had short-circuited from just processing the thoughts of Itachi and here he was standing flesh and blood in front of him. He ignored the other bunch of people also in the room. Throughout the meeting, his eyes were fixated on him. He gulped nervously as he got up to greet everyone and explain his views on the current matter.

Naruto shook his head, sweaty bangs stuck to his forehead. He exhaled softly and greeted everyone in the room once again before presenting his views, working out the complications and how exactly they could raise a better environment in the office as well as project and true and good image of the companies to the world. He maintained eye contact with every person in the room.

But, when his eyes finally landed on ebony ones, he almost caved in. Itachi gave him a crooked smile and Naruto wrapped up the meeting, everyone was full of praise for the blond who had surpassed their expectations. Naruto thanked them with a warm smile and after he had sent off his co-workers on important errands he finally turned to Itachi. Finding he couldn't handle the pressure anymore, he sat down in one plush chair, swivelling in it and avoiding the raven's gaze. Itachi stepped close and stopped the chair with one foot.

…

It was evening and Sasuke was dressed impeccably in semi-formal attire as he stood outside the restaurant Naruto had given him the directions for. It was strangely good for the dobe's tastes. He shrugged and stepped inside, inquiring his reservation. Only, a woman brushed past him before he could reach the desk. 'When had she walked in?' He didn't see anyone when he stepped out of his car. He would've pouted but it wasn't in his proper demeanour.

Sasuke noticed the woman had a dark shade of hair; it appeared to be a deep shade of violet. It swayed almost fluid in waves as she rushed forward. He shook his head and walked forward, one hand in his pocket. He stood next to her when she mentioned a reservation under Naruto's name. She was talking in such a hushed whispered tone that he barely heard it but now he was curious and slightly ticked. Who was this person? More importantly, what was Naruto up to?

"Yes, I'm Hyuuga Hinata…"

Hearing the Hyuuga name outside of work surprised the Uchiha and he decided to call Naruto right that moment. It went straight to his voicemail. 'What was the dobe up to?' He could always wait for him but then he'd have to bear the company of this strange woman. He narrowed his eyes at the woman who was apparently part-albino, judging from her lily white skin, she was wearing a summer dress with white sleeves. They did little to contrast her pale skin. 'Naruto never mentioned any Hyuuga accompanying us.' He heaved a sigh and stepped forward asking for his reservation under the same name.

She had already been led away to their table. 'Their table.' He snickered, she must be one of those girls who fawned at the mere sight of him and then never left him alone. He recalled the blond inviting him and their conversation in the car. Something clicked in place and he cracked his knuckles while quietly proceeding to his seat. 'Naruto would need a talk with him after this was gone and done with.'

He sighed and slipped in place. The Hyuuga looked up from the menu startling him with her iridescent shade of eyes. 'Weren't they supposed to be transparent or white-ish?' They leaned towards a pale shade of lilac. He blinked himself back to his usual self and offered her a polite smile. Sasuke had decided he would brush her off quicker than she could stutter his name. He had learned from experience and if this was really a blind date he wasn't giving her any chances.

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**A/N:** *evil laughs* I had written more but I'll torment you guys. But don't get the pitchforks out, I didn't kill anyone...not yet anyway..Nein, okay... I won't, chill. *phew* Until next time folks. Oh if anyone's interested, the song Everybody Talks is by Neon Trees. :] Have a Nice Day!


	10. Chapter 10 - Without the Love

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. So hey, enjoy! 8) It might not punch you in the gut splattering the feels everywhere, or it just might. Anyway, R&amp;R. *sigh* Entrances suck, I'm transitioning into a Zombie. Also, if you guys are living in a hellish nightmare that burns liek the fiery depths of HELL then hydrate folks! and re-hydrate! Summer is coming, brace yerselves. Laters.

P.S. I thought it could've been done without the dialogue things too stretching. But, apparently I'm not THAT awesome, so this'll hafta dooo! Have Fun! \\(^o^)/

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash, Angst. Essentially AU ItaNaru with a hint of SasuHina (IT HAS BEGUN). **You no Like, You No Read!**

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_Previously:_ Itachi stops the swivelling chair that was supposed to take Naruto to a fairy dreamland...(obviously).

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**Chapter 10** ~_ Without the Love._

"Wha-''

Itachi rested one hand on the armrest and leaned close to the blond. "Quit avoiding me, Naruto." Hearing his name roll off Itachi's tongue as well as their proximity made the blond flush a bright red.

"Ehr," he scratched his temple fumbling for words. This situation was truly uncalled for. He had no idea what to do. He rolled his chair away feeling too close all of a sudden. This action went anything but unnoticed by Itachi who stood dumfounded for a second. Naruto got up; fidgeting with his tie he pulled it slightly loose around his neck. He felt stifled.

He looked at Itachi who had seemingly gained his composure. "About what you asked me...before, Naruto?"

"Huh!? Oh yes, what was it?" He bit his lip looking sideways for a quick escape.

Itachi thought it over and went with a different approach. "Naruto, why did you run away?" He wanted answers to his questions but more importantly he wanted his stability back. He wanted Naruto back.

"Who said I ran away?" The blond flared at the silent accusation. "I thought I made it pretty clear, in my last phone call." He was looking away as he couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes. The depth of emotions swirling there would engulf him in flooding waves.

"You hardly let me speak..."

"Because you always listened to me, right?" Naruto's voice turned icy and he regretted his words but since he had spoken, there was no going back.

He spoke after a short pause. This time picking his words with a little bit of care. "What do you want to hear, Itachi?"

"I just want you to come back…we can talk this out calmly." The offer was tempting. But the sleepless nights did teach the blond something, he wasn't going through that again.

Naruto made for the exit and spoke firmly, "The meeting is over, and you should head home now."

"But...I won't return without you." There was a certain threatening tone to it. Naruto's eyes froze as he turned to face him. 'No.' He squashed all tiny rays of hope under his feet.

"I...I'm not going back to before. We're done," he said gritting his teeth.

"Naruto, do you have any idea how much I missed you?" Naruto watched the Uchiha gulp in anxiousness, something he rarely saw. But he had nerves of steel too, even if it carved a hole in his chest. He was not going to budge.

"Are you sure you didn't miss your work?"

"It..." Itachi sighed running one hand through his locks. "It's not the same without you. I don't know what to say to make you come back!" He was still lost as to why the blond was making him say this when they both knew he was already aware of everything, ever feeling. He stepped closer with each word.

Before the blond could escape, Itachi trapped him against a wall, forearms on each side. Seeing pure emotions in eyes, Naruto gulped. "It's not that easy, okay?" They stood stagnant as blue eyes locked on dark ones.

Itachi sighed, his mental gears shifting. "At least tell me why we broke up? Was it something that night? I said I was going to be late...I only had a business meeti—"

"Please… "Naruto clenched one hand in a fist by his side and the other tried in vain to push him away. He felt words trapped in his throat as he remained in the spot looking down. "Don't make it any worse than it already is."

"At least listen to me, why won't you?" Itachi leaned close, yearning for him to look him in the eye.

"I don't," He punched his chest lightly, "...want to hear it..." Naruto could hear himself choking on his breath, his head fell limp. 'This was no use, why was he always so helpless in front of him?'

"Why?" Itachi closed his eyes his forehead inches away from the blond's.

There was a quiet whisper. "Because..." He looked at Uchiha with immense pain reflected in the ocean of his eyes. "Because, then… I'd have one less reason to stop loving you, to convince myself that this…" he moved his hand gesturing to both of them. "Isn't going anywhere..." Itachi's eyes flew open at that confession, he thought back on Konan's words.

"I've...lost my grasp on this..." He sighed again. "If you want to hear me say that I love you then here…" He took his clenched hand and hooked one finger underneath his chin. Naruto was still facing away. "I love you..." The raven waited with bated breath.

The blond's eyes grew misty; he could feel a lump in his throat. What was he supposed to say? 'Does he think it's a fucking joke?'

This time he pushed him away gently but firmly...Itachi fell back a few steps." Don't say it.''

"I will say it as many times as I want to..."

Naruto could feel resentment boil under his skin. 'This was enough.' He was putting his foot down. He lowered his head and stepped up close to him; regarding him through his tousled hair with eyes welled up in moisture. "Don't say It like u mean it...Don't say it..." A sob wrecked through his chest and he clenched his fist. "..DON"T SAY IT WHEN YOU DON'T MEAN IT!" He almost shouted and barely noticed the raven's wide eyes as he stormed out.

He exhaled trying to stop the sobs from escaping. He was no weakling, thinking so, he brisk walked. Wiping his tears by his sleeve he headed straight out the building. 'Dammit, I promised myself I wouldn't cry over something like this...' "Why am I so stupid?"

Minutes later he was driving home. He banged his head on the car window, cursing himself. This was too much; he wouldn't allow himself to suffer anymore. Any feeling in the world would be better than this…than all the hurt he was feeling. At this point, he didn't even care if Itachi had seen him with Gaara or not. This situation was precisely why he thought himself lucky for breaking up over the phone.

…

The restaurant was filled with uninteresting people, as most are to Uchihas. With practiced ease, he'd drowned out their nonsense or chatter.

"Huh!?" She was smiling back but he was too lost.

"You..." She spoke in the same hushed tone, exhaling softly. "You're Uchiha Sasuke-san?"

"Yes, I am. Did Naruto put you up for this?" He was more used to hearing a different suffix to his name so he was taken aback, slightly. But he wouldn't waver. Girls this submissive never lasted before his strong personality.

Hinata was observing him from under her lashes. "I'm sorry I don't understand what you meant? Naruto's joining us later, right?" Sasuke was getting annoyed but he simply raised an eyebrow.

"I'm quite sure I heard the host say it was a table for two." He calmly gestured to their seating.

"Well, I was invited by Naruto for a simple lunch meeting…or lunch." Her tone was terse; she seemed on the edge of her seat.

Sasuke smirked. "Is that how it is?" 'They always have such petty ways to go about it. But all of them are the same.' He rested his face in the palm of his hands and watched her with snide eyes.

Hinata felt like she had had enough of it. Prissy bastards like him were the reason why she left her family to fly solo. It was precisely why she hated heirs like him. It was also one of the reasons why she found Naruto to be such a nice person. He was the complete opposite, so warm and welcoming.

The person before her, however, she had no idea what bizarre thoughts were swimming in his head. She pursed her lips and crossed her legs underneath the table. But she could tell he was basically taunting her with his pretentious prissy behaviour and prejudiced self. She smiled sweetly.

"Uchiha-san, I would appreciate it if you would be more forward and less wry with your talks."

He simply arched an elegant eyebrow. Her posture had changed and he could feel the atmosphere shift visibly. The smile on her face looked almost painful. "Then am I to call this a date?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, her smile faltered. "Would you stop being so delusional, please? It's not nice."

"I don't quite know what you're talking about…" He trailed off looking innocently at her.

Hinata thought this was enough. Naruto wasn't coming and this jerk wasn't even deserving of a conversation. She had tried playing nice, sometimes it just didn't work. She tilted her head and her eyes veered to challenge his fixated gaze. "You're such an Asshole, Uchiha."

She fixed him with a condescending glare and Sasuke felt confused. 'What just happened?' "What, are you waiting for me to deny it?"

"That's highly unlikely, considering the probability of you actually apologizing for your rude behaviour." She signalled the waiter and smoothly placed orders for two drinks.

Sasuke smirked, he was intrigued. "Where's that sweet demeanour you projected earlier, Hinata-san?" The way he forced the suffix got on her nerves.

She didn't seem like that submissive persona he sensed before, the way she was handling the situation. But all Hyuugas were the same. Why would she be any different?

"So how's Neji-san?"

"Hm?" She was clearly uninterested in playing with the conversation but she still had her manners so she complied. It would be best not to let the date or whatever it was, go to a total waste, she'd hate to disappoint Naruto.

"Well, I wouldn't know, since he works in the branch company headquarters which are located overseas. We don't talk much, but I suppose he's doing fine. How's Itachi-san?" She had a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Why? Are you not cozy enough with your nii-san?"

"You're someone to talk, especially with your inferiority complex." She was pretty sure; he'd be nothing by the end of this meeting. "That aside, I don't meddle in his business, he doesn't in mine. We respect each other."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I could say the same, but who are you kidding?"

"So you admit it then?" She cracked an amused smile.

"What?" He was getting annoyed and the drinks did little to calm him.

"Oh, nothing. I always imagined what you'd be like in-person." Sasuke smirked, 'so she was a fan girl after all.' "But I don't need special meetings to identify an insensitive jerk."

"Hn, I don't even know why Naruto thought this was such a good idea." He smirked nonchalantly, trying to cover up the slight pause.

"At least we agree on something…" The Hyuuga heiress was staring at the sparkly drink in her hands. "I wonder if he's doing well." She idly mused recalling his strange weariness in the office.

"What do you mean? He should be meeting Itachi by now. I'm sure they'll work it out." He noticed her expression and continued stealthily. "I don't suppose you'd have problems with that, would you?"

Hinata curved her lips in a genuine smile. "Of course not, I'd help him if I could. He could use it. I used to have a childhood crush on him but since he has different interests." She took another sip from her drink. "There's not much I can do except wish him well."

Sasuke tilted his head, examining her response. This was quite a different specimen. He was starting to doubt his pre-conceived judgements. He downed the rest of his drink and proceeded to order something to eat. 'This could prove helpful in future endeavours.'

…

Naruto reached home, he had avoided a collision driving on the way home but just barely. He entered the house and found it weird that no one was there. But he was too drunk on his misery to notice much so next thing he found himself slumped on the couch. He switched on the TV hoping to drown out the silence and laid there staring at the ceiling. He felt weakness in his bones while his mind wandered, avoiding the obvious.

He thought of how _their_ _'date'_ must be going and snorted. It was either perfect or he was getting killed tomorrow. Judging by both of them, either one could be true for him. 'They would make a great couple, maybe even fall in love.' "I just hope they don't end up like me." He shifted so he was sprawled face down on the couch, cheek against the puffy armrest. 'Where did I go wrong?' It's not like he got to choose who he was going to fall in love with. So he found the situation rather unsettling. He wanted to give up but he couldn't because no other interests even came close to what he felt for the Uchiha. 'If only he'd stop being so closed off and tense.'

Naruto could tell the difference between what was forced and natural, so he was pretty cross at Itachi. He knew work wasn't that important to him so why was he avoiding their relationship? Was he stalling? They were going great the first year, but as soon as he got promoted, something changed. He understood filling shoes of his father must've been a grave task to accomplish for the Uchiha but he grew distant and put up these stupid barriers. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to listen to dishonest confessions.

Naruto chewed on his lip, trying to work his little brain. 'It'd been only 3 days...and he couldn't take it? Can he imagine how I felt? …being so close to him and always being pushed away. Slightly further each time.' It sounded so morbid he grew tired of thinking about it too long.

He rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand, what was he doing? He should just go sleep on it. He'd figure out what to do tomorrow. Besides, he still needed to apologize to Gaara and more importantly his mom. He thought it better to sleep on it, preferably on his bed.

…

The blond was tangled in the sheets, from restless kicking and turning. He got up all of a sudden, remembering he had a job now. Laziness won't do so he went about getting ready. Unnoticed to Naruto, his phone was beeping alerts left on the nightstand.

Coming out of the shower he shook his head, of course he was late for work, again. He got ready in a flash, figuring his parents left early. 'Why else would the house be this empty? Where was the staff anyway?' The food was refrigerated so he didn't really care. It could've been their day off. He shrugged standing in the kitchen with the refrigerator and cupboards open, guess he'd have to grab some ramen anyway. He took one last look in the mirror, straightened his grey suit, and finally grabbed his phone, thinking he should text Deidara.

Then he saw the memo for today and found out it was Saturday. He face palmed at his stupidity. "Great."

'Wait…then...shouldn't mom and dad be at home too?' He looked around, peeking in their bedrooms, in case they were still sleeping. This was highly unlikely because his dad rarely missed work. He was still wondering where they were and crashed on the couch again, loosening his tie that almost strangled him to death. Following the flow of the moment he opted for a quick lazy breakfast and prepared some cereal for himself. They were probably working on a day off as well. He switched on the news report, his suit coat was draped against the back of the couch and he lay back scrolling through his mail. It contained one voicemail from Sasuke. Naruto cringed at the thought of getting a scolding sprinkled with insults. He sighed and pressed play. Sasuke sounded mad and pissed, but may be his plan worked. 'Hmm.' Maybe it had gone well after all. Naruto rubbed his chin in a dramatic manner patting himself on the back for the small achievement in poor Sasuke's joy-ridden hermit life. 'The bastard should lighten up more.' He chuckled and shut his phone after sending a few important replies and texts.

Then, the doorbell rang. 'Who could it be at this hour?' The blond scratched the nape of neck, it was close to 9:00, where was the staff, really? "Ahh so many questions…" He dragged his feet to the door and opened it wide to stare back at weary dark eyes.

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**A/N:** Nah, this ain't gon be a repeat of the last time them eyes met EYES...heheh...ehrm, it's gonna be a bit of adventure from here on in the fic...in case no one caught on to the blatant hints I dropped int he earlier chapters. -.- AND JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, I TOLD Y'ALL THE CHARACTERS WILL HAVE SLIGHT OOC-NESS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I'M WRITING THEM. DEAL WITH IT. B] Stay Curious.

Don't Kill me though. Oh and the song by Demi - Without the Love is pretty good. Just sayin, kbye.


	11. Chapter 11 - Unexpectedly, Momentarily

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. Wait, was that a hiatus for me? lol, okay. Idek, here's this chapter...R&amp;R. Naruto Shippuden's ED (Kotoba no iranai yakusoku), LISTEN...I mean, read the lyrics and meaning and Listen. T_T [Credits to original creator for cover image art.]

P.S. You have no idea how close I get to making this into a crack fic each time I write. But I won't do that. Neither am I killing anyone. I'm not Inhuman, not like that anyway. Heh.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash. IDK. More Uchiha-ness. **You no Like, You No Read!**

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**Chapter 11** ~_ Unexpectedly, Momentarily._

Naruto walked forward, rubbing off some leftover sleep from his eyes and pulled the doors open. He stood frozen for a second as he took in the fact that Itachi was standing there in what appeared to be yesterday's clothes. He swallowed his anxiety but it was hard to control when he was being stared at with those captivating eyes.

"Uhm…" He was still waiting for him to say something. There was no way he was letting him inside.

Itachi took in Naruto's appearance with a simple tilt of his head and raised an eyebrow. Something passed between them and the blond pouted, there was no way he was going to be the one to speak first. He tapped his foot, impatiently, one hand ready to close the door. Itachi did a mental roll of eyes and sighed.

"Naruto…I know this is bad timing." He began…

"You think?" The blond knew it was snappy but dammit he deserved time to recover.

Itachi dared him to not let him finish this time and the blond shrank visibly. He was curious to see what he was up to anyway. "This is important."

"You have 30 seconds before I close this door." He had narrowed his eyes and Itachi put one hand at the edge of the door.

"It's not about us…"

Naruto looked at the Uchiha quizzically. He needed some sleep all right. 'Just what was he doing here at this hour anyway?' He scanned the Uchiha's bedraggled state again and sighed letting him in.

"Mention anything about us, and I won't hesitate to push you out." He was serious, Itachi could tell by his tone. Naruto closed the door behind him and motioned for him to sit on the couch. All traces of sleep were gone; he was wide awake as he watched Itachi take in the surroundings.

The Uchiha was impressed with the décor of the house but what caught his eyes was the bowl of cereal and Naruto's suit jacket on the couch. Something didn't match up indeed; to affirm his previous notions he looked at the blond questioningly.

"Did you really—?"

"Yes, I thought it was a work day." Naruto passed him a look of distaste.

A smile tugged at Itachi's lips recalling the blond's foolishness that he had witnessed before as well. He loosened his tie from around his neck and looked up to Naruto who was now offering him water.

"I can offer you coffee but I think you need sleep more dearly." It didn't go unseen by Itachi how the blond's fingers escaped his touch as he was handed the glass.

"Hm, okay. Do as you please." He spoke with a strange contempt and smile as he downed the glass of water; shifting on the couch sitting across from him. Then his expression took a more serious turn. "Naruto, have you heard from your parents?"

Naruto gave him a bizarre look. "What do you mean, they must be at work." Itachi was still staring at him. "I know it's their day-off but they take work seriously, it'd be no surprise for me…"

"Well, let's just say your parents aren't the only ones missing."

"What?" Naruto slammed his hands at the table, refusing to believe that something had gone awry. He pulled out his phone and started dialling for their numbers. It went straight to voicemail. His brow furrowed when the fifth call didn't get through.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious." The blond was poorly concealing his own concern. "Did you try anything else? Does Sasuke know? We should check their office." He knew that it must be serious if someone like Itachi was concerned about it; besides, he wasn't one to prank people like this.

"Yeah, I was supposed to meet Father personally to deliver reports from our meeting…" He paused, it seemed Naruto remembered how exactly the meeting had ended. He cleared his throat to pull him out of his reverie. "But he wasn't there at our inland house, what's strange was that all the papers pending were just lying on his desk. He never leaves work pending, except…"

"Sasuke isn't picking up." Naruto dialled his number in hopes of reaching him but he was either dead asleep or ignoring him because of his blind date. Itachi watched the blond stare at the phone in his hands with disdain.

"I wouldn't want to worry Sasuke until I have a solid grasp on this. You're the only one I could come to eventually. Although, I'm sure my secretary is fretting right now due to my unexplained absence."

"Then, at least tell him where you are." Itachi sighed, giving in. He gave it no further thought and flipped out his phone sending a hasty text. His calm and controlled demeanour was slipping.

He spoke carefully with his eyes fixed on something distant. "I don't think we should make this a public matter." He shifted his gaze to the blond who was caught staring at him, he flinched. "Let me check properly first."

Naruto nodded, shying away and scratched his cheek nervously. "Then, we should call Kakashi, he is the head of PR and security. Also, he's a family friend to both of us." Itachi nodded his approval; he didn't seem bothered at all.

…

"He's taking the next flight home. I think he'll be here in a couple of hours." Itachi pressed the end button, glad that the situation hadn't digressed into a worst case scenario. He rolled a shoulder to ease his pain.

"Okay, now that that's done." Naruto shifted in his seat and got up without a word. He returned with a change of clothes in one hand and thrust them to his chest, he caught it awkwardly. "Go take a shower,… or something..." He scratched the back of his head and retired to his own room. "I'm going to take a nap before the closet pervert gets here." He waved lazily, hazy with lack of sleep.

"Okay..." He said, his voice barely reaching the retreating blond. Itachi looked at the clothes in his hands and stood rooted for a few minutes. He was never told which room to use. And there was no help to be found in the house. So he wandered around shortly before he found one – it was Naruto's bedroom.

Itachi walked in with padded footsteps, crossing rooms to find the blond snoring lightly, slumped on his bed. The peaceful sight of him sleeping on the bed brought back memories of their house when he'd watch him sleep. His lips curved in a soft smile as he watched entranced. Eventually, he walked up to him and gently caressed his head; his hair was as soft as ever between his fingers. Naruto shifted in his sleep, mumbling something unintelligible and the Uchiha backed away slowly.

He didn't want to disturb him so he silently apologized and thought it best to use his shower quickly as possible. He came out minutes later wearing a black cashmere sweater, white shirt and beige pants. He found them quite comfortable and less orange than he remembered. He ran one hand through his slightly damp hair, he shook them loose as he scanned the room and found a plush chair across the room.

He sat back, and thought of the recent string of events. He had confessed to Naruto but apparently it was lacking something. 'Hm.' His heart told him he should keep trying. Naruto was the only lover he saw fit, he was willing to offer him all his trust but he didn't know how to go about it. He couldn't act recklessly; he could see the blond was at his limits. He sighed, watching the blond from a safe distance. It felt like he would break the trance if he woke him up. The sigh was so serene for once he felt free from all worries. Seeing him sleep so peacefully always calmed him down. Right now, he felt what he was missing those days without him. Something he couldn't place his finger on. But, he knew now.

Itachi looked around briefly; there were a couple magazines and newspapers lying on the nearest table. He blinked, turning his head at the sight of a familiar blond he caught on one of the tabloids. He found it hard to concentrate since sleep was taking over. He hadn't slept properly ever since the blond had eloped with the majority of his heart and control with him. He smiled at that thought but it faltered when his eyes landed on the newspaper, it was Naruto…in the arms of someone else. Someone Else, looking at him with those eyes. He rubbed his face with one hand; his eyes were drooping with lack of sleep. He blinked trying to keep his focus but before he could form a proper response, sleep took over.

…

Naruto was roused from his sleep by his sleep by the sound of someone raping their doorbell. He rubbed his eyes. 'Ugh…' "Wait!" It struck his half-conscious mind that it would be none other than Kakashi. He jumped off the bed and ran to get the door, slapping himself awake. He yelped in shock when he saw Itachi on the chair, sound asleep. A frown marred his pretty face and he blinked furiously. 'What..' "What in the world?" He murmured grabbing a light blanket from his bed and walked up to the Uchiha with bare feet on the linoleum floor.

Naruto leaned close to the raven with his lips tugged in a confused look. The doorbell sounds were pushed to the back of his mind. The blanket clutched in his hand, he stood rooted on the spot and heaved a sigh. After he had tucked him in, well he had just draped him with the blanket but it felt the same to him, he straightened himself and went to get the door.

…

_"Yes, Kushina-san."_ Kakashi laughed nervously, tapping his foot as he stood on the doorstep of the Namikaze mansion. _"I'm at the door right now, don't worry…"_

There was a strict response on the other line with a sickly sweet threat and he gulped. 'Women can be really scary sometimes.'

_"No, I didn't forget to tell them."_ He rolled his eyes and responded weakly; one hand was still busy ringing the doorbell. _"…Yes, rest assured."_ He sighed and shook his head as the call ended.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he perked up. "Well, if it isn't Naruto!" He reached for a hug with the joyful curve of his only visible eye. Naruto ignored the hug with narrowed eyes and waved him in.

Kakashi took in the familiar atmosphere of the house. Though, it felt empty. Everything seemed to be in order. Well then, he couldn't afford to disappoint Kushina so he plopped down on the couch and pulled out a novel. Naruto was ticked off and watched him with his arms crossed across his chest. He had just deposited his duffel bag on the couch and was staring at him pointedly.

Kakashi propped his feet on the table, ignoring the glare and flipped a page. "So, where's Itachi?" Naruto looked away but it was seen by his previous mentor. "He's sleeping right now…"

"Hm, he must've been tired from all that…" The gray-silver haired man continued while gesturing the blond. "Oh, and it's really not my fault but…" He raised an eyebrow as his phone rang from his pocket. He pulled it out and watched Naruto stalk off to check on the elder Uchiha, probably.

"Sasuke, what an unpleasant surprise."

"Are you asking for help or are you providing help?"

"Well, I never would've known…is that what you think? I'm fully aware, also I'm at the Namikaze's right now."

"Yes, both of them are here."

"…"

"Well then, make haste."

With that, Kakashi turned off the phone and buried himself in his book once more.

…

Naruto stepped inside his room once more with a glass of water and some medicine. He cursed himself for being too considerate and left it on the table beside the chair Itachi was still sleeping in. One hand was grazing the surface of the table, he tucked it back inside. Itachi was stirred from his sleep in the process and he blinked up at a nervous blond bent close to him.

"Um, here." Naruto reached for the glass on the table and offered it to the quite drowsy Uchiha who graciously took it. He stepped sideways and stubbed his toe against the table leg. "Ah fuck." He keeled over, examining the seemingly fatal wound. Itachi raised an eyebrow, he proceeded to get up but the blond saw this and straightened up. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure? Need me to kiss and make it better?"

Naruto pursed his lips. "Don't get cocky with me Uchiha." He couldn't help his lopsided grin as he made his way out. Naruto looked back once to meet brown eyes gazing intently. "Kakashi's here…" He drummed his fingertips on the doorframe irritably and Itachi nodded getting up. That was his cue to follow blond's lead and get out of there.

Itachi was about to leave when he realised he had stepped on something. He picked up the newspaper with raised eyebrows; it was the tabloid he was looking at before he had fallen asleep. He glanced at the date, gears whirring in his mind. It was the same day when Naruto broke up with him. His tight grip scrunched up the newspaper. What was the meaning of this? Here he was about to trust him. He brought it close to his face, staring at the hazy image that showed Naruto's face. Konan had told him to look closely and think carefully. He knew by his face that Naruto must've ingested copious amounts of alcohol for something like this to have happened. He recalled the night at the club when he they had first met. There was no doubt about it; he had low tolerance for liquor anyway. But, who was this red-haired person holding him so close? He made a mental note to look into it. If he were to trust Naruto with everything then the blond would have a few things to explain as well. Thinking so, he finally moved ahead, exiting the room.

…

The trio was sitting on the L shaped couch and Naruto was glaring his mentor to death. "What do you mean you can't tell us?" He was enraged all right. Itachi eyed him curiously.

"Now, Now…you don't wanna spoil the surprise, do ya?" The blond huffed at getting no answers and sat back crossing his arms across his chest.

"Kakashi-san, just tell me they're safe?" Itachi seemed unaffected by his antics.

"Well, of course they are…I mean it's a family get—" He stopped midway. "You got me good there, I'm not letting out more, Kushina's orders." Saying so, he slung his duffel bag on his back and walked towards the front door.

"What? Where are you going?" Naruto was frustrated by this point. The assurance that his parents were safe was enough get one boulder off his mind but there was still a big heap of problems to deal with.

"Hm?" He turned around, posing flashily and spoke with a grim expression. "Gear up boys, we're going on a road trip."

…

_EXTRA:_ Soon after, Kakashi was pelted with house items by a maniacal blond but Itachi managed to hold him back somehow. Itachi suspected it was his allure that made Naruto turn mushy in his arms. It went easier from there, with the blond keeping safe distance from the Uchiha to avoid a repeat of defences being broken down. No way, he hadn't learnt his lesson, he wasn't letting him back in. That's what he thought as the three of them drove off with Naruto lounging in the backseat of his Dodge, catching up on some sleep. He couldn't quite place the reason why he was able to be sleep so easily now. But he knew it had something to do with the smirking Uchiha in the front.

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**A/N: **Tell me what you think, I swear I wasn't half-assing anything it just came out this way. I was stuck in some parts but *phew* hopefully it'll come out better. Y'all better pray that I have a good Final Result (they come out soon). Then I can continue writing, yeah, that's why. Laters, Gators. :]


	12. Chapter 12 - When It Rains, It Pours

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. Yay! #ConfettiItsAParade! My results went unexpectedly well so here ya go. Sorry, can't post double chapters for this one. Though, I Wish I could but I'll have to write it first. Obviously. Okay, enough ranting...thank u for ur conscious and unconscious blessings, and for reeading this fic. God Bless y'all beautiful creatures, remember to drink lots of water. Especially if you're in a hellish country like mine. Heheh. [Credits to original creator for cover image art.]

P.S. Just saying that reviews motivate me to write and post quicker. But I won't force you, just sayin'. Aight, Enjoy the fic.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash. It's more like Shounen-Ai right now... **You no Like, You No Read!**

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**Chapter 12** ~_ When It Rains, It Pours._

"It'll take about a day and a half to get there…" Kakashi drove the car, weaving through the traffic with practiced ease.

Naruto leaned forward resting his hands on the edge of the front seats. "Yes, WHERE exactly is this place again. And WHY are you taking us th—" Kakashi used one nonchalant hand to push him backwards, avoiding any further queries. "Ompf. HEY! At least tell us where we're headed?" He looked at Itachi who was riding shotgun, with pleading eyes. He seemed unfazed by it and simply shrugged.

Naruto narrowed eyes at him and sat back crossing arms against his chest. Eventually, he took out his iPod to pass the time when the car skidded to a halt. He looked out through the windows, this was near that club he was at last night, and it was a mystery to him why they were here at all. To be precise, the car stood parked in front of a motel. The streets looked quite different in broad daylight. They weren't crowded as much and he notice this part of the city was pretty close to the outskirts. Still, the reason for their stoppage was lost to him.

A familiar raven haired person walked up to the car and tapped the driver's seat window lightly. Naruto was shuffling through songs on his iPod; he looked up when Kakashi got out of the car to exchange a few talks with, as he noticed, was Sasuke. He waved to his brother inside the car. From his seat Naruto couldn't see their faces or anyway to make out what they were talking about. He was curious but he felt helpless in the current situation. Especially, with Itachi in the same car.

Pretty soon, Kakashi was back in the car. He explained to them that Sasuke would be driving ahead on his motorcycle. The younger Uchiha gave a short wave to the car passengers as he drove by and Itachi gave him a curt nod. Naruto passed a smile and mumbled something about show-off bastards.

They had barely crossed 5 miles from the city and the blond was feeling bored sitting in the backseat. Every now and then he would pass comments to annoy the driver. "…so that's that but are you sure you can drive safely with one eye?" Kakashi was getting ticked with every second but there wasn't much he could do.

It was probably a good reason as to why he was the first person to get out of the car when they pit-stopped at a petrol pump. Itachi got off after him, stretching his limbs and noticed the silver-haired man giving him a helpless look. The Uchiha sighed and tapped the window, asking Naruto to follow suit and get out. The blond was a bit hesitant but he complied in favour of a chance to stock up on snacks.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief watching their backs, as they entered the convenience store. It was a small filling station so there wasn't much to Naruto's appeal but he was satisfied with anything ramen flavoured. He grabbed a bunch of chocolates and shifted aisles to get away from Itachi. This whole encounter had been intense but he hadn't had enough time to think things over. He didn't know what would happen if Itachi confronted him again like that, for now, the blond considered it his luck that he was holding off. He exhaled, trying to relieve himself of some stress and peeked at Itachi from behind the magazine counter.

It was strange, he thought. Because Itachi seemed so unaffected by all of it; naturally, it was tough for him to believe that he really meant those words. Itachi turned sideways searching for something and Naruto ducked down to avoid meeting his gaze. He wiped invisible sweat from his brow, crouching low and peering around the corner to watch his retreating footsteps. This was never good; his emotions were getting out of hand again. "Man, this sucks." He was muttering to himself again.

"I think we all have our hardships…" Someone spoke so close to his neck that he stood up yelping in surprise. But Sasuke clamped his mouth shut and pulled him back down. "Are you stupid?" They looked back at Itachi, whose back was still turned from them.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" The blond was still trying to figure out when Sasuke got behind him. He was still calming his senses but the serious look on Sasuke's face made him blink twice.

"What do you mean?" He pushed his hand back and whispered in annoyed, hushed tones. "I'm trying to avoid being alone with your brother."

"You used to call him Itachi." Sasuke looked at him indifferently. "Haven't you two made up yet? Is he mad over what happened with Gaara?" Naruto gaped at him.

"No, No, you have it all wrong." He waved his hands about in front of his face in a futile attempt to accentuate his point. "He doesn't even know about Gaara,…I think...Besides I'm the one who BROKE UP with him!" His volume was increasing but suddenly Sasuke stood up, straightening his leather jacket.

He spoke in a sombre tone, "Whatever it is, you need to stop acting like a child and talk it out. And I'm pretty sure he knows about Gaara already." He spoke with an afterthought. "It does surprise me though, why he hasn't done anything yet."

Naruto stood shocked for a moment and his mouth formed a frown. His fists were clenched by his sides. "Am I the child when he's the one playing with my feelings?" He began to say something more but he saw Itachi walking up to them, so he just stomped off consumed in fury.

"What happened, Otouto?" Itachi was reflecting a hint of concern in the swirls of his ebony eyes.

"What did you do to him, Nii-san…Or rather, what did you say to him?"

Itachi arched an elegant eyebrow. "I assure you it was nothing that didn't suit the occasion."

"Then why does he seem more upset than before?" Sasuke was frowning as well now. Naruto didn't appear too different on first look but he wasn't being his normal ball of sunshine self and it irked him. "You need to make up with him, before things get any worse."

The elder Uchiha gave a slow nod; he was watching Naruto checking things out at the counter. "I don't even feel like I know his real self. He seems different than before, I confessed my feelings but apparently they didn't reach him." Sasuke smirked, his brother didn't even realise but he was in the same position as Naruto. It frustrated him even more that the two of them were being incredibly stupid at the moment.

"Well then, consider this..." Itachi leaned his ear, paying extra attention. When Sasuke was done, Itachi furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at Naruto who was giving a smile to the person behind the counter. After Itachi pulled back, Sasuke gave his brother a slight push; somehow the situation felt weird regarding their elder and younger brother bond.

Itachi smiled but then it turned into a sinister grin. "And yet, I wonder why you're single, Sasuke."

"Oh just go, leave my love life to me, you can advise me when yours is all good and settled." He ushered his brother towards the counter and went back to the vegetable stock.

…

There wasn't much space in the car, yet Kakashi was somehow sleeping in the backseat quite comfortably. All the while, Itachi handled the steering wheel, he wasn't used to driving but this gave him more chances to glance at Naruto. The blond had his arms crossed and elbows propped on the car window, watching the scenery pass and ignoring the person in the driver's seat completely. It remained that way for quite a while since Naruto wouldn't allow Itachi to talk; the only thing breaking the silence was the soft music from the radio. Itachi gazed outside the windscreen, it had gotten visibly darker. Judging by the distance they'd covered already, Sasuke would've reached their destination by now and they'd probably reach earlier than predicted. Much earlier.

Naruto was still in his previous position and was growing drowsy with welcome sleep. The clouds rolling overhead crackled with thunder causing a sudden downpour. This caused the blond to open wide eyes. Raindrops began pelting the car windows and Naruto shifted in his seat, sticking his head out, enjoying the rain on his face, it was a refreshing feeling but it had grown foggy due to the rain and night time. Itachi was watching the wipers on the screen do their work. He flickered the headlights as a car drove past them, it was dangerously close. It was on Naruto's side and the blond was still craning his head outside, probably had his eyes closed. Itachi panicked and used his hand and focus to pull him by his collar. It was a sudden move that he had to use the handbrake to avoid the car from getting derailed from the road or getting crashed into another.

Naruto had squinted his eyes shut waiting for the mishap, hoping that if he didn't see it, it wouldn't happen. But it wasn't the case, the force of inertia had landed his head in Itachi's lap, he blinked looking up wide-eyed at the Uchiha. Itachi pursed his lips, and stared back at him endlessly. The car had stilled on an off-road trail with minimum damage.

A voice spoke from behind them. "OH, that has got to be awkward." Two pair of eyes locked on Kakashi who was too busy to care. "Hey, I didn't say you guys could get started, I'm still here you know." Kakashi was joking harmlessly yet…Itachi turned his head to the front and Naruto's face was flushed as he proceeded to resume a more appropriate position. He tried, whining about closet perverts and bumped his head on the steering wheel.

A few minutes later, they were back on the road and Naruto sat in the back, munching on his chocolate bar. He was still cross with Kakashi who seemed too perceptively correct in the most awkward of situations. 'Frickin…' He punched the headrest of his seat and Kakashi bent forward, avoiding it. Naruto narrowed eyes at him, promising revenge.

Although, it still shocked Naruto. When his head landed (almost) in Itachi's lap, he could've sworn he felt his fingers brushing his hair slightly. 'No way.' He shook his head, thinking of it all as lies. But 'Damn it.' It made him remember his hands working their magic on his body and…He gulped the piece of chocolate in his mouth and took another hasty bite. Basically, he did ache for his touch. It's not like he was a dog that required petting, he found it oddly calming when Itachi touched him. Those small touches of affection were what made him feel loved and made his days brighter. 'Yeah,... Past tense.' Naruto sighed and decided to sleep on it.

…

It was dark, flippant and gruesome but their road trip was finally over. The sun was shining overhead and happy clouds sailed above; the blond was happy as he set his feet on dirt and solid ground hoisting his bag over his shoulder. He eyed Itachi from the corner of his eye. He had had enough time to think it over, for now. There's no way he was letting him back into his heart until he realised just how much he had hurt him. In his theory, it was crucial for Itachi to understand his mistake and not repeat it. And it was reason enough for Naruto to go ahead with his ministrations.

He finally lifted his gaze as he scanned the lush greenery surrounding the lake house in front of him. It was truly a niche for nature's beauty enthralling one's senses in the most spectacular way. The lake house was nestled between Deciduous Coniferous trees that, come autumn would give the whole area an unearthly appeal. His interest was piqued as he climbed the front steps. "Cool, it has a porch swing."

"And that's not all!" A head of red hair peeked from behind the front door to make him jump. He blinked twice and hugged his mom, surrounding her with powerful arms. "Ow! Okay, okay…you're crushing me." He let her down gently after her relentless attacks on his forearms. She was laughing but he was curious as to why he was dragged here.

"Mom…wh" Kushina shushed him and pulled him inside the front door.

"Questions later, food first." She had a heavenly smile on her face and Naruto gulped pretending to enjoy every bite of the burnt pancakes he was now suddenly offered. Mikoto emerged from behind the counter and took one glance at the food and gasped.

Kushina turned to face her and met smiling eyes, "My! Those are lovely pancakes, Kushina. Won't you let me make some as well? Naruto is like a son to me as well you know and Sasuke is always broody about home-made food..." She winked at Naruto when Kushina agreed with shrugs and smiles. Kushina retreated outside, in search of someone. Meanwhile, the blond was thanking the gods for letting Mikoto exist, and scoffed at the fact that Sasuke didn't yet appreciate what he had.

Satisfied with his oncoming meal, he scanned the area. Mom's vague tour hadn't been enough to acquaint him with the surroundings. If he remembered correctly, it was an old family property where he used to play as a kid with Sasuke…and Itachi, sometimes. He gave the interior a once over. The door he had stepped through opened up to a living room on the left with vast expanse and on the right was the fully stocked kitchen where Mikoto was tying her apron strings behind her back with a kind smile. Naruto smiled back, mouthing a thank you and her smile grew.

He resumed his watch and craned his neck to see properly from where he sat at the stool near the kitchen counter. The entry way still gave an open view of the lake in front of house. It was calm and refreshing and he felt at home. He turned and noticed that two stair-steps further into the house, there was a spacious seating area with comfortable sofas and a large TV on the wall. He did catch sight of a side door that led to a long boardwalk which he found by standing up, led to a lake pavilion a bit far off. He sat content with the peaceful surroundings. This is exactly what he needed; he would have to thank his Mom for sure. Maybe later, when he's on a midnight snack run, he might also get time to check out the other areas. His bag was by his feet and he pulled out his phone, taking a bite from freshly served pancakes. One bite from the deliciousness made him croon with enthusiasm and joy. He made sure to thank Mikoto for her awesome cooking and proceeded to stuff his face with the food.

He could tell that his time here would be filled with unexpected surprises. "Wait, why's there no signal here?" Naruto shovelled the last bites in his mouth and stood up to get a better reception. Suddenly, Kushina grabbed his shoulders from the back and an involuntary chill ran up his spine. Even from his back Naruto could tell the woman was smiling deviously.

"No business calls or any calls that would disrupt this family getaway." She patted his shoulders, oh so lovingly. "Enjoy your time here." Naruto turned back with pleading blue eyes but backed away in defeat from the dangerous glint in her eyes. He'd consider himself lucky if he made it out of here alive.

…

* * *

**A/N:** Finally, maybe Naruto has realised what he oughta do. Of course we'll know in the next chapter. Did you pick up the hint of what'll happen in the next chapter? No? Heheh. Then, just wait or read carefully. Have a Nice day you people! :]


	13. Chapter 13 - Hold Me Down

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. My entrance exam went kind shitty and I had some stuff to deal with, hence the delay. Don't worry, I'll be trying to post more often but It'll be difficult until my College Admission gets finalised. But as ever, this makes me happy to write for...Thank you for the favorites/Follows/Reviews and just Reading. Thank you and I won't mind if you point out any major corrections in the fic, I'd be happy to correct them. :] [Credits to original creator for cover image art.]

Aight, Enjoy the fic.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash. Shounen-Ai... **You no Like, You No Read!**

* * *

**Chapter 13** ~_ Hold Me Down._

* * *

Naruto mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. It closely resembled a certain someone's name. Not that anyone heard it; he was shifting and rolling endlessly in his bed. He rolled again, twisting himself in his sheets and fell off the bed with a loud thud on the creaky wooden floor. He sat up declaring his pain to no one in particular and soothingly rubbed his behind.

The blond slapped himself awake and scanned his surroundings. "Uh, where was I again?" He supported his elbows on the bedside and got up. Flashbacks of a horrid road trip, Itachi's face and a vague resolve he made upon entering the lake house flooded his mind. "Oh, yeah. That." Naruto scratched his back unconsciously and stepped towards the bathroom door barely noticing he was in his orange boxers. As long as he was alone, there was nothing to be done about it.

The blond walked in through the door with half closed eyes, he looked in the mirror and stared back at two people. 'What.' He turned his head and locked his stare with ebony eyes. "What."

Itachi kept mum about it and continued brushing his teeth before he spit into the sink and rinsed his mouth. Then, he spoke calmly to a bewildered blond. "It's a shared bathroom."

"Well, thanks. Captain obvious but, why?" Itachi's lips twitched to form a smirk because that was hardly what he had asked.

"Beats me, Naruto. Maybe you should ask Kushina-san." Itachi continued his morning ritual and the blond stood there consumed by shock. He could only watch as tiny droplets of water escaped down his chest, over his pecs. It was truly unfair for him to be standing unfazed in his lounge pants, and loosely tied hair and swept back bangs, so casually. While Naruto was submitted to what he perceived as torture for the rest of his days here. He opened his mouth but only made a whining sound from the back of his throat. He was disappointed in himself and left muttering, asking Itachi to let him know when he was done. The Uchiha only nodded and stepped to the shower with glass walls.

Naruto closed the bathroom door behind him and eyed his surroundings again. Was he cursed or did his mom really enjoy being so sadistic? He recalled thoughts of the Uchiha attached with images of him coming out of the shower, dripping wet, it made him cringe his eyes trying to block out the images. 'Damn it. Why am I the victim here? Didn't I decide for something else?'

In time, he got up with steeled resolve and turned the doorknob, entering without further announcement. The blond had heard the shower being shut off earlier so he knew Itachi was pretty much done by now. The Uchiha never took long with his showers. The blond noticed that as he had expected Itachi was soaking in the marble bathtub opposite to the sink area. He was mentally relieved because the Uchiha had his eyes closed. The next moment, Naruto found himself tiptoeing to the shower, hoping he wouldn't slip and fall.

As soon as he stepped in, he realised it was a big mistake because one inhale was all it took. The aroma of Itachi's recently used body wash and shampoo were numbing his senses. But he had gotten this far so he would take his shower. He stepped out, minutes later, with his towel around his waist and swept his hair back with one hand and glared at Itachi who was apparently watching him with half lidded eyes. He pouted and walked forward announcing each footstep against the white stone floor.

Naruto now brushed his teeth and opted against any idle chat. He watched Itachi by silently stealing glances but he was not even reacting. He quickly finished his task and headed into his bedroom when a voice caught his ears. "Naruto, we have to talk." Itachi was dead serious, he could tell.

"I know but there's not much to talk about." The blond sashayed out of the bathroom and visibly relaxed while he searched for something decent to wear.

Naruto was quick now, because he didn't want to confront Itachi again. He opened the door to the hallway and the smell of food wafted upstairs and he was entranced by it. He glanced to the left, which was Itachi's room, mentally checking himself never to stray over in that direction and turned right, only to be surprised again.

"Naruto.."

The blond could only laugh painfully in response, restricting his initial expression of shock. His proper first day here and he could tell how the rest were going to go. It wasn't a good premonition.

…

When they both descended downstairs for breakfast, they were greeted cheerfully by a smiling Kushina who told them to sit down right away. Naruto, seeing that it was too late for escape sat down next to him sighing extravagantly. They were the only ones present at the table, being told that the rest would be arriving shortly.

"I'm having none of that today, young man." Kushina was pointing a blunt knife at the blond as he succumbed to the situation, visibly sinking in his seat. Then he remembered that the person sitting next to him didn't know of his mom's cooking. It was rather dramatic how it played out with him trying to stop his first bite of food. And when the fork clunked to the ground, he was met with a strong glare from his mom whose expression eventually melted into something obscene.

She put her chin in the palm of her hand as she spoke. "Were you going to feed him that, Naruto?" The blond grew alarmed; he could hear the bells ringing in his ears.

"What? Why would I…" Naruto was stopped when Gaara chucked a mouthful of omelette in his mouth. He turned to the redhead swallowing the forkful and glared pointedly at him.

"Well, aren't you two quite the couple." Naruto tuned out whatever else his mom was gushing about. He couldn't take it. There was too much confusion. He made a mental note to strangle Gaara for more answers later. This was nothing compared to what Gaara had explained to him before coming down.

…

(_Flashback_)

As he stood in the hallway, Naruto was frozen on the spot and kept closing and opening his mouth for a proper reply. Until he remembered the first and foremost thing he had to do. He apologized to Gaara with a wavering smile. He knew that what Gaara said seemed brash but he knew it was his fault as well for getting drunk. He covered his face with one hand, slowly peeking for a good response. But the redhead was staring at him, dead in the eye, with arms crossed against his chest. "You do realise that your apology makes it worse for me?"

Naruto had chuckled nervously at that, but learnt quickly that smiling like an idiot won't get him through everything. Then he truly apologized and said he didn't feel the same about him. Gaara had taken it pretty well, however it was his prime suspicion that it was just on the surface. He recalled walking up to him then and hugging him to apologize for being a drunkard jerk and surprisingly the redhead smirked back. Naruto pulled back to see him staring at someone.

If he didn't think it could've gotten worse than that, he believed it now. It was that exact moment that Itachi had walked out into the hallway. His face was scrutinizing them and before he really said anything he was pulled away by Gaara. Naruto was still clueless as to how he was a part of their family get-together so obviously he was shocked when he learned that his mom had invited Gaara.

Initially, he had gasped in shock and went out cold 5 whole seconds. Well, It perfectly explained why she hadn't drilled him with questions about the tabloid photo(s). The blond was out of his ephemeral trauma when they sat down for breakfast.

…

Naturally, when the rest of the members had arrived it was quite uncomfortable. With glares and questionings flying around with nervous laughter and direct threatening; it was quite normal. Sasuke was glaring daggers at him; he suspected it was because he was sitting next to Gaara. While Itachi who seemed unfazed and was mostly silent barely looked his way even if he was sitting right in front of him. Naruto took his last bite, forcing it down his throat. He wanted to leave the table as soon as he was done but it would be rude of him and he didn't want to suffer under his mother's wrath again. She had even forbidden business talks on the table.

The blond looked her way again; she was sitting adjacent to his father who was on one end of the table. Fugaku was on the other end with Sasuke and Mikoto on either side. He narrowed eyes at his mother who smiled sweetly and put a finger against her lips. Signifying she'd keep the secret. 'Wait, what secret?' Naruto slumped in his seat and waited for this hell to be over.

…

"This is a recipe for disaster." Naruto stood in the kitchen with a paper in his hand.

"What? No. It's a dessert recipe for the campfire dessert we're going to have." Mikoto ruffled his hair but the blond meant his current situation. He watched her prepare the strawberries and marshmallow mush which looked suspiciously delicious in the making.

Naruto was currently assigned kitchen dessert duty while his dad and Fugaku set up the BBQ outside or the campfire. 'Whatever.' He brushed off those thoughts and paid attention to his current task. He broke the chocolate into considerably tiny pieces before sticking the bowl of it in the microwave. Thrumming fingers on the marble counter, he wondered what to do about his disastrous situation. Maybe he shouldn't do anything at all. Maybe THEY should be the ones to figure it out this time. He was in no mood for dealing with any relationships. To be honest, he only saw Gaara as a great friend and Itachi, well; he was a tough nut to crack. Every time he tried to run away, his feelings would sweep him over him like a tidal wave. He couldn't help but be carried away but right now, he was struggling to keep his feet fixed on the shore. He would give it time.

The beep of the microwave brought him back but Mikoto tapped his shoulder and thrust a tray with bowls of strawberry and marshmallow fluff in his hand. He eyed them questioningly, "Umm, how are we supposed to eat these exactly?" Mikoto smiled bringing one hand tinged with cooking flours and sugary stuff to her lips. She was trying to hold back her laughter and glanced at the chocolate bowl.

"Don't you worry." She put one flour-y finger on the tip of his nose and Naruto stared at it, crossing his eyes. Suddenly, she seemed so secretive that he found it hard to decipher anything. He felt her hands push him towards the front entrance. "Gather everyone first. I'll explain it. For now, go set this up on the table outside." Naruto blinked trying to focus on the task.

"Okay." He saluted with his free hand and marched outside.

"Oh and take these!" Mikoto placed a bunch of what he thought were skewering sticks to roast the dessert on and set him on his way. Nightfall was approaching sooner than he'd prefer.

"Where do you think you're goin', young man?" Mikoto spoke calmly but with a stern tone as she prepared snacks. She never turned her back to voice the notion for Itachi to step forward from where he was watching silently. He inwardly cursed her sorcerous skills and walked up beside her, hands shoved in loose pants.

"I was merely observing." He leaned against the counter, a careful eye on her response.

"Mmmhm." Mikoto seemed too busy to respond as she continued with the task at hand. However, Itachi could see her devious smile underneath the shallow façade. He arched an elegant eyebrow as she thrust a bowl of re-heated chocolate in his hands. He took it and brushed past her poorly hidden smile. "Go" She wasn't exactly barking orders but it wasn't tough to guess her intent.

…

Sasuke swiped the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead and swept his bangs back from his forehead. He looked down to the last batch of firewood he had delivered so diligently under Kushina's strict commands. "Seriously…" With the situational physical inability to limit his bad demeanour he did a mental eye roll and decided to take a shower. So Sasuke walked in through the backdoor with a quick wave in her direction. Kushina yelled a reminder for him to get back down quickly for the gathering and he cringed inwardly.

Sasuke tried to keep himself level headed as he proceeded to his quick shower. He couldn't understand why his brother, who was so suave at just about everything, was failing at the premise of love. Also why wasn't he the one gathering the damned firewood? He shook the thoughts and watched the dirt cleanse off his skin and wash down the drain. He knew he wasn't one to lecture about such feelings simply because he didn't believe in Love. But that didn't mean he would stop supporting his best friend and brother. Stupid as he was, Naruto was perfect for Itachi. Anyone could see that. He just hoped Itachi knew it too and wouldn't let him slip from his hands, after being so close.

After rinsing his hair, Sasuke stepped out of the shower in his lounge pants with a towel around his neck. He glanced at the clock on the wall, he was late. Apparently, he had been thinking too much in the shower. But, for his plans to succeed, he would need a trusted accomplice. He was staring at the clothes he had laid out on the bed prior to his shower but the ruckus outside was too distracting.

…

'Damn it.' The woman was cursing the exact timing of her early demise. Which she was sure would happen if she didn't find a way out somehow. "Somehow…" She picked up her pace, and moved cautiously with the documents in hand when she heard a familiar voice.

"Sasuke, you planning on coming down?" It was Kushina, and she sounded a bit irked. From the resounding footsteps, it was safe to say the formerly mentioned woman was going to be killed if she didn't find an escape. If Kushina was heading her way, then she needed to flee or divert her.

She took cover behind the couch in the living room and approached the staircase leading to the upper floor. She glanced one last time and she could see her approaching footsteps, she called out to Sasuke again. She was perplexed, if she got caught delivering documents to Minato-san, it would be troublesome indeed.

Well, she could think about it later, when she was out of danger. Therefore, she took two steps at a time. Much to her shock, Kushina was headed the same way. 'Damn.' She hurried past the doors lining the narrow hallway, she tried a couple but they were all closed. She tried another and it wouldn't budge. She turned the corner with a swish of her hair and padded footsteps to the last door. She tried twisting the doorknob but it was stuck. She looked again, and saw Kushina's increasing shadow near the corner turn. With her back against the door, the perspiring woman prepared herself to face the wrath of the hot headed Uzumaki. She desperately hid the envelope behind her and pulled a smile on her face, recklessly trying the knob again behind her back.

Only this time, it opened.

"What —Hinata?"

* * *

**A/N: **Got time? Listen to Hold Me Down by Halsey. It's so awesome she's gaining the following she deserves, awesome. Okay, Thank you for reading. No hate please but tell me what you think? Sorry for any mistakes or typos, if you tell me i'll correct them, Thank you.

_Next Chapter: Gaara is upto something. Sasuke is trapped in a dangerous dilemma. Everyone's gearing up for something. Naruto is going crazy with a crazed Uchiha on his heels. Alas, there's no way to run. _


	14. Chapter 14 - I'm not Angry Anymore

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. Damn, okay I know I crossed new lines of inactivity but I'm trying here. Good news? The next chapter is already written. Bad news? I won't post it until I begin on the next(next) chapter. XP I may have fudged up in some places but I'm trying not to let the plot crumble here...I'll correct some parts of the story once I've completed this fic. Not more than 20 chapters btw. The last ones (after 15)will be dedicated to SasuHina :3 [Credits to original creator for cover image art.]

P.S. In a hurry posting it here...forgive me for major mistakes. Point em out and I'll correct em. :]

Aight, Enjoy the fic.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash. Shounen-Ai... **You no Like, You No Read!**

* * *

**Chapter 14**~_ I'm not Angry anymore._

* * *

It wasn't the best day but she felt it was sure to turn into a great evening. After all, where there's a will, there's a way. And it's often willpower that allows you to shape your course of actions into your desired outcome. Such were the beliefs of Kushina Uzumaki.

Even as she stormed upstairs, treading lightly, mind you. She was keeping that in mind. And there was no way a certain Uchiha brat was going to cause an imbalance in their perfectly balanced equations. No, he won't. Not unless she could help it. Mikoto had done her part with Itachi after all. She just hoped Gaara wouldn't get the short end of the stick. It was his choice and they respected that, only he shouldn't damage himself any further.

She began wondering when exactly those snot-nosed brats had grown up into such fine men. Fine men, indeed; Except they lacked a lot of things. Things they had yet to gain. If only this little trip would prove helpful.

She strode down the hallway. Everyone was already downstairs. All that was left was for Sasuke, who was apparently taking too long to 'freshen up', to join them near the campfire. Resolutely, she turned the last corner of the hallway and walked up to the last door. She paused mid-knock and heard rustling from behind the door. 'He better not be planning an escape!' Thinking so, Kushina unlocked the door and found a much disoriented Hinata on top of Sasuke who was on the floor.

Kushina took only a couple seconds for the situation to sink in. The couple on the floor noticed she had a growing sly grin on her face which was quickly gone.

"Oh… Hinata-chan! What a nice surprise..." She paused with one hand on the door knob before slipping out and passing a wink to Sasuke's indifferent but inwardly horrified face. "Do hurry back…"

Sasuke didn't have to strain his ears to hear Kushina's pleasant humming and receding footsteps. He then quickly sat up and proceeded to shove off the annoying woman who was sitting quite comfortably on his lap.

"Get off, will you? She's gone!" He aggressively signalled to the door. But Hinata puffed her cheeks in ignorance causing him to roll his eyes.

But evidently, it was working very well so Sasuke settled with glaring at her eyes. How had this even happened in the first place? Ah yes, when he decided to be more than less observant of his surroundings. He had no idea that when he'd open the door, the Hyuuga girl would come crashing down on him. And Kushina-san had to choose the exact moment after to barge in as well. They were still arguing over him pushing her back out of his room when Kushina saw them in an unfortunate position. The only reason he hadn't moved was because if anyone found out he had been secretly working all this while in his room, he'd be doomed.

It was risky business with two diabolical women under the same roof but he was willing to risk it for his duty. God knows what was going on outside while they were playing merry household in the woods. Sasuke halted his negative landslide of thoughts and arched an eyebrow at the woman contently sitting atop him.

There was hard proof all over his room, papers and documents, easily visible to a sharp eye. Thus, there was no way the red devil would be entering his room. Back to his additive problem, it seems Hinata had something to hide from her too. It would explain why she hadn't moved from on top of him the whole time and was silently urging him to stay put with his eyes even when Kushina saw them together.

Practically speaking, it was the best course of action to prevent her from suspecting anything they didn't want her to. So he had ultimately complied without much protest. It did help that he was shirtless and both of them appeared flustered. Although, now he had another problem to deal with.

Sasuke sighed exasperatedly and crossed his arms continuing to glare at her. He'd bet she was falling for him, what with the current situation. Why else would she be staring at him with that look in her iridescent eyes? His gaze wavered, from her bangs stuck to her sweaty forehead to the same sweat that formed a light sheen on her pale skin. 'Yeah, no.' He focused back on her eyes, where it was presumably safe.

"What do you want?" Sasuke inquired as politely as possible, he was just about done with the whole situation and she still refused to budge.

Hinata licked her lips once, staring strongly back at him. She held Sasuke down by one hand on his forearm and leaned towards him. Sasuke leaned away, eyebrows furrowed at her response. Hinata smirked and raised her eyebrows as she leaned closer and past him. Their cheeks brushed together and she grabbed the envelope from behind him.

"This!" She held it between them and Sasuke had never felt more pissed off in his life. 'What was she playing at?' He eyed her scornfully as she got up and bent down to fix her shoe strap. Her dark hair fell like a curtain but he could tell she was still grinning. Did she not realise the situation they were in now?

"So, yeah. Thanks for that. I'll be leaving now." Hinata was standing by the door as she straightened out her summer dress. She gave him an earnest smile and a slight bow.

"Hn." Sasuke turned back to the clothes on his bed; he decided to ignore her for now. If he did so, he felt she'd go away quicker and stop bothering him.

"Are you ignoring me?" She whispered unexpectedly close and it sent shivers down his spine. Not that he'd let it show.

"Hn, I don't find it worth my time." He cocked an eyebrow at her disapproving form. He was trying not to let it bother him.

"Then speak properly, Uchiha." And just like that she was out the door. "Oh! And just so we're clear, this was a situational thing." Sasuke offered her an 'As If' look and she nodded slamming the door shut behind her. So much for that.

…

Naruto sneaked a look from where he was tending to the food table for their _night under the stars_. He scoffed at the idea, keeping in mind the latest developments in his love life. He noticed they needed more foil; he'd have to fetch it from the kitchen. With a careful eye, he made sure there were no Uchihas or Sabakus and made it running to the front door.

The blond stood with one foot on the front step and looked back across the campfire. All of them looked so happy. Both his and Sasuke's parents were talking and laughing. The rest of them were missing however. He looked to the sky; the twilight sky was gaining darker hues. It was a pretty sight.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Naruto was slightly out of breath still but he slapped himself pulling together a smile, a big part of helping out with the festivities meant maintaining his composure. He glanced around once more to be safe while opening the front door and crashed right into someone's torso. He looked up to see Itachi's surprised face and then noticed that his own hands and face were now smeared with… Naruto swiped the tip of his tongue to taste his lips. "…Chocolate?"_

_Itachi leaned close, "Want me to clean that –" He reached out with his hand._

_"__No." But the blond smacked his hand with a sad and definite smile that wasn't quite returned. He scrunched his eyes muttering a silent apology and scurried inside the house. Itachi was left standing on the porch, no emotions visible on the pallor of his face._

_Pressed against the other side of the front door, Naruto was still cursing himself. Dammit, he did it again. And what was with his body's weak protest? Why was he always so powerless in front of Itachi? Damn it all. He headed to the kitchen with a grumpy look on his face and grabbed some tissues from the counter to wipe the sweet muck off. _

_*FLASHBACK END*_

Yep, that was an unfortunate incident but it was not happening again. Not if he could help it. Even if he had had resentful feelings earlier. After the anger had boiled down, the residue of regret still remained. And there were still shreds of lingering feelings he didn't know what to do with. But maybe he shouldn't have acted so rude. Technically, he hadn't done much. But technically, he was still a heartbreaker. Damn that Uchiha, acting like an instigator for all his emotions. He felt pretty wrecked.

…

"This year has been quite profitable. Won't you say so, Fugaku?" Minato was sitting alongside his old friend, on the log benches around the campfire. The flames casted odd shadows on the people gathered around it under the cloudy and starry night sky.

"Hm? Oh I wouldn't know." He elbowed Minato laughing nervously. "I haven't been that involved lately."

"What? Surely you're joking, right? I thought there'd be no thoughts of retirement what with your constant supervision over—" His loud mouth was stuffed with a strawberry before he could speak any further and Fugaku gestured with his eyes to the women sitting across from them. Mikoto was smiling so sweetly at him. It scared him more than anything. Minato took the hint and decided to switch topics.

"This season for fishing has been quite…great, hasn't it, Fugaku?" Minato sounded chipper but his friend could only shake his head in exhaustion.

"…"

…

It was an hour later and everyone had finally gathered around the fire. Naruto refused to sing any songs, although he wanted to tell ghost stories but he knew it'd have to wait. He was safely perched between Mikoto and Sasuke but Gaara was sitting right across from him and was also staring right at him. He wished he'd stop staring at him with that forlorn look in his eyes. But, alas.

With a forced smile he turned towards Mikoto who was talking quite animatedly with his mom and Sasuke. Suddenly, she clapped her hands together in glee. "Well, I'm glad that Naruto didn't forget his manners, he helped out so much today!"

Kushina laughed, giving Naruto a pointed stare, he held up a peace sign. She turned back to Mikoto with a genuine smile. "Well, Sasuke helped out too, stocking up all this firewood wouldn't have been possible without him…."

Naruto coughed, "Scout boy" and elbowed Sasuke in the ribs.

Sasuke kicked his feet retorting back. "Kitchen boy."

"What? That was lame, teme!" Naruto kicked him back but Sasuke was anticipating his comeback.

"Dobe, you're the only thing that's lame." He snapped.

"Why you…" Naruto dived upon him to throttle his neck but Kushina cleared her throat. Naruto looked back, fearfully for what was to come.

After they had quietened down, and sat licking their wounds, both mental and physical, it was time. Kushina and Mikoto shared a secret look before introducing them to a round of interactive 'fun' games. Naruto could swear he felt Sasuke roll his eyes at that one and he couldn't help but slip a chuckle.

But they watched as Kushina returned from the house and announced a different kind of treasure hunt. "You have to find a person."

There was a collective sound of 'What?' in the small crowd but she continued explaining the rules of the strange game. So, there was a mystery person here. He heard Sasuke give a tired sigh beside him and he wanted to kick him again. "Cheer up, grandpa!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at his dark haired friend, slapping his thigh.

Sasuke thought of delivering him a blow but he remembered what happened the last time so he settled for pulling the blond's tongue that he stuck out so proudly when he intentionally missed his swing of a punch.

"Ow! Bastard!" Naruto raised an arm to swing back but the hunt had already begun and they were both sent off before they could settle their short-lived feud.

…

Two women stood afar watching the rest of the lake house population scramble for clues. Kushina was watching Naruto with eagle eyes, arms crossed against her chest. She had faith in her son after all.

"Do you think they'll figure it out?" There was a whisper from her silent companion.

"I don't think so, Mikoto." Kushina stood pleased beside her old friend and elbowed her. "And be more confident would you?"

"Oh I don't know. I'm sure Itachi is onto us." She watched Naruto kick aside some ferns and pebbles on the dirt road.

"That brat is still a hundred years too young to know anything." Kushina couldn't help but smile as Sasuke clobbered the blond for getting dust on his clothes.

"..Should we stop them?" Mikoto was almost reaching out.

"Leave it be. There're somethings that these kids need to decide and figure out for themselves." She turned to face her friend with a warm smile and raised eyebrows.

"Well, I just hope our plan doesn't backfire." Mikoto returned the gesture and turned towards the opposite direction where Itachi had already disappeared in the direction of the old treehouse. It was only instinctive of her motherly self to be worried about her elder son.

…

_"Sometimes what you seek is closer than you think,_

_But the truth that unfolds can make greater ships sink."_

"Yo! Sasuke!?" Naruto caught up to his best friend with a few huffing breaths. "What's with this shitty clue?"

"Hn." Sasuke walked off, hands shoved inside his pockets. He had an obvious idea as to who the mystery person was. Ironically enough, he wasn't interested in silly games.

"Hey! Wait…" Naruto took one more scrutinizing look at the paper, waving it in the air. He shouted at Sasuke's disappearing silhouette in the scattered foliage. "Do we have a dockyard or something?"

Sasuke cringed and briskly walked away from all the commotion leaving behind a very distraught and confused blond. He had planned a week of peaceful work but he should've known something like this would happen. "Fucking family reunions."

"Someone's got a bad mouth."

Sasuke turned to see Hinata perched on a huge rock, her feet dangling and barely touching the ground beneath. "What are you even…"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan of this game either. She's just exacting revenge on me." Hinata pouted looking off into the depth of the woodlands.

"Kushina?"

Hinata didn't miss the lack of an honorific. "So you're familiar…" Much to Sasuke's dismay she was grinning.

"What is that look supposed to mean?"

"..nothing." Hinata hopped down from where she sat and gave him a final look before leaving.

"You know…I really wish Itachi-san would quell his pride and admit his feelings to Naruto. He deserves better than that."

"Or what? You'll take his place?" He couldn't help but smirk.

"I can't even dream of it. I'm not foolish, Sasuke. I know when I don't stand a chance." Her face normally caressed with soft features flashed him a painful smile. Now, if he had to be completely honest, it did do something to him. For once, it made him regret his words.

…

* * *

**They were all lost in their own worlds. Looking for something they didn't know of. But it's okay because … "Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves."**

* * *

**A/N: **Consider the above as a special thing. Idk. Thank you so much for reading throughout these shitty chapters and untimely updates. You all have my thanks XD

_Title inspired by the interlude song by Paramore - 'I'm not angry anymore'._


	15. Chapter 15 - Who failed Who?

**A/N:** I don't have a Beta so read at your own risk. Wop, here it is! Enjoy. [Credits to original creator for cover image art.]

P.S. The rest of the edited chapters will be up before the next chapter. You might wanna re-read the fic. Aight, Laters. R&amp;R. And THANK YOU.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any relative characters. They're property of Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Slash. Shounen-Ai... **You no Like, You No Read!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**~_ Who failed Who?_

* * *

There was a slight chill in the air. Somehow, it helped the atmosphere – to encourage strange timings for untimed epiphanies. Naruto strode down the walkway nervously pacing back and forth. Hands in his hair and face in his hands, he had finally had some time to think over his impulsive actions. Actions that had taken place over the last couple of weeks.

Especially since the treasure hunt and Sasuke's lack of companionship gave him ample time to himself. He had gone over everything in his head more than once or twice. The moon was still in the sky but shadowed with clouds.

Naruto knew that both Itachi and him were at fault for whatever happened, and he might have acted like a bitch but the situation called for it. It was inevitable, since, he had no trust in their set future. He had envisioned possible outcomes but it was a difficult road to walk alone.

They had planned to do this together, maybe not verbally but it was surely a heartfelt emotion. So in a roundabout way, Naruto felt glad and sad and at the same time since Itachi was still lingering around. Itachi was staying as close as possible to him, even if he switched continents and even if he had left the Uchiha in a cloud of confusion. Not that they were all settled and happy before but…

It clenched his heart to imagine how Itachi must've felt, of course he knew the bastard wouldn't say it to his face and he wouldn't display it in his expression, not without special coaxing. But the next time he saw him, the next time...he was sure he'd know it by his face and the depth of those eyes ...did he even feel hurt or bad or sad at all? Or was he the only one _feeling_ things?

The blond was on the edge and yanking his hair in exasperation from it. He knew that no matter how much he wracked his brains and nerves it would be useless. He could wrench this apart piece by piece but he still wouldn't be able to decipher the Uchiha's thoughts or shed some tiny ray of light on how his brain worked.

As his pacing slowed down and he grew sensitive to the cold, he could only think back on the times they were together, when he was held close, 'there was definitely love there ...' But if Itachi didn't realise what went wrong,… Naruto wouldn't be the one to tell him. With that shaky but abated resolve his mind gears stopped turning. He couldn't help the smile that crept up his face.

"Yeah! That's it!" He exclaimed with newfound joy and turned around with raised hands in cheer.  
Gaara coughed when he was finally noticed. It was slightly chilly what exactly was Naruto doing here away from the game of search? He couldn't have just wandered his way out into the open.

"Gaara!hey, what..." Naruto gulped nervously lowering his arms. "What're you doing here?" Not finding much to do with his arms the blond crossed them against his chest thoughtfully.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Gaara spoke without batting an eye. It was then that Naruto realised what he was doing or rather what he was not doing...

"C'mon then.." Without giving it further thought, he dragged the redhead by his arms through a shortcut, heading to the woods surrounding the area. If the moonlight was a little helpful, there were dimly lit lamps circling the perimeter of the camp and lodge. However there were still a few areas shrouded in darkness.

For the most part Gaara let himself be led through to unknown directions but he couldn't hold back what escaped his lips. " I was serious Naruto."  
"About what?" Naruto was seemingly busy shoving aside ferns and the like.  
"About you.."  
"Me?" There was a contemplative pause.  
"About us, what we could be...if only you'd..." Gaara was talking but they had come to a stop and Naruto had halted his train of thoughts from straying any further.  
He sighed heavily and turned to face him, letting go of his hand. "You're one of the greatest friends I'll ever have, Gaara…"

The blond felt him flinch and lifted his gaze to meet misty eyes. "..It's all the more reason you know as well as no one else so close to me that I can only ever love one person."  
Gaara stared at him, willing or unwilling of him to continue. Naruto was looking down again as he continued. "Even if...even if it's a huge waste and I detest myself..." He laughed at nothing in particular. "I can't help but still love him, just hope that my feelings reach him...I…" He looked up to meet Gaara's indifferent eyes, he was decisive of what he was going to do. Gaara then stepped forward as close as Naruto allowed and hugged him. The blond frowned at it but hugged him anyway, apologising for being a lot of things short of his lover.  
"You don't have to apologise Naruto, if I was your friend before, I still am. But if he doesn't treat you well, I will come for you." Naruto was usually a fool, but he could sense a sudden change, perhaps it was too sudden. But if it helped…  
"Woah okay!? I'm not a damsel in distress, I can fight for myself." The shine was back in his eyes, Gaara could tell. But he refused to let go from the hug and stilled for a moment while he said something inaudible and pulled back.  
"No you can't." Gaara said it quietly and waited with bated breath before letting go.  
"…Didn't have to hug me so hard...what were you even doing?" Naruto was eyeing him in suspicion trying to lighten the mood.  
"You can thank me later, Uzumaki." With those words, the redhead stepped away and parted ways with his blond friend. He hoped he'd see him again, sometime when it didn't hurt to see him anymore.  
"Wait...it's too dark and why does it seem like you're going away? Hey! Stop! What the hell?" Naruto could only wave his arms around but there was no answer except the chirping crickets and the quiet breeze. He tried running after him but something in his words made him want to hold back.

Naruto felt weird, he was brimming with hope for his only love but also sadness at the misfortune of his friend. As he ventured a few lonely steps further into the woods, he wondered what would've happened if he had fallen for Gaara before he had met Itachi… If their roles were reversed, Itachi probably wouldn't have let him go, after all, he was scary possessive at times.

He heard the whistling of the wind through the woods and took to a slow pace towards the back entrance of the lodge. But before he could take his final step, he heard a twig snap and crunching of leaves. The blond grew positively scared, no thanks to the late nights of watching axe murderer movies…and so, ran for his life. There was only one place for his refuge.

...

"Think it's here?" Minato spoke while shining a flashlight to the gazebo walkway as they made their way...

"It?" Fugaku answered pensively.

"Well we don't know if it's a he or she."

"…"

"…they?"

"I'm sure it's a he, what would a girl be doing out this late no one would allow that."  
"Fugaku you old grump..."  
"Like you're any better shiny hair."  
"I'm saying I'm sure it's a she .."  
"You were the one calling _**her,**_ _it_ a while ago."  
"Ah, so you admit she's a female."  
"Dammit Minato!..."

They continued searching ...

...  
Sasuke threw another twig in the campfire. The small embers emblazoned in the small reflection of his brown eyes.  
"That's barely any firewood. You should know better …scouts boy Sasuke.." Hinata had a smile pulling at her lips as she circled the campfire to reach him.  
Sasuke snorted at the voice recognition and the sour comment. He carried on throwing twigs. "Aren't you supposed to be hiding?" He replied after a pause that the Hyuuga had almost passed as ignorance.  
"Why?" She cleared a spot and daintily sat herself down beside him, causing the Uchiha to smoothly scoot further away. "Hey I don't bite!?"

"Yeah, but I've had enough physical contact with you than I ever needed." Sasuke rolled his eyes back to the constancy of the fire.

"Ouch"  
Sasuke didn't have to look towards her but he smirked softly and a smile flickered on his face.  
"You sure about that?" Sasuke was about to lecture her when she cut him short.

"I'm sure you're used to hearing such lines thrown at you." Hinata was being dramatic now as she lay down on the log while Sasuke visibly shifted further to the edge.  
"Ahh! Take me! Sasuke!" She broke into a round of laughter that rang in the Uchiha's ears. He chose to stay silent as she tried to reach for the stars.

"They look so pretty... Everything looks pretty from afar..." She sighed and lay there staring at the night sky. In all silence, Sasuke glanced upon her, lying carelessly while the tips of her hair dusted the ground. The moonlight provided perfect accent for her pale skin. Then he looked to himself and whacked himself mentally because his skin was no less pale.  
And it was difficult to tell but he had this sudden urge to tuck those few strands of hair near her eyes behind her ear. His hand had almost reached when she spoke again.  
"But everything's ugly up close..." Her eyes flickered to him before she closed them. Sasuke wrung his hands, tucking them beneath his thighs. He wasn't one for small talk but this was as boring as it would get.  
"Everyone has flaws, they just become clearer to you.." He closed his eyes in some ironic recollection.

Hinata smiled briefly and her eyebrows furrowed but her eyes remained closed. "If only we could learn to love someone with their flaws."

"What? Did it go straight through your head?"  
"That's impossible." Sasuke looked at her with a mixture of puzzlement and amusement and snarky-ness.  
"Are you sure?" She sat up abruptly with an impish grin. "Because I'm sure there's a lot of vacant space here and here." She pointed to his head and heart.  
"Ouch?" He raised an eyebrow pointedly but spoke decisively. "It's reasonable...I use my heart and mind when they're needed ...with or without the other." He threw in the last twig and sat back sounding proud of himself.  
"And I thought you were a genius."

Sasuke was furrowing eyebrows at the fire, trying not to stare back at her.  
"So right now...will you use your head or your heart?"

"Why would I..?" He whipped his head in response but before he could complete, he felt soft lips against his. Realising the situation for what it was he wanted to break away but to be completely honest, so much work and drama had taken a toll on him.  
Therefore, he kissed back with a different fervour, because this was better than self-gratification and frankly she didn't seem to mind.  
And he could tell that was true by the way she was now effectively nestled in his lap and they were slowly grinding while locked lips with each other.  
"Don't take it personally.." Hinata whispered harshly, one hand splayed on his chest.  
"Hm?" Sasuke watched her pretty little head, pursed pink lips and straight cute nose as she fumed about something.

Her eyes were half lidded as she peeked up through her lashes. "This isn't emotional."

Sasuke shifted his gaze and got up.  
...

Minato kicked aside shallow ferns trying to look for a way out. "Let's admit it.."

Fugaku was short behind him, having slight difficulty with his traditional casual attire. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well, look around?" The blond spoke tersely and threw up his hands in exasperation.

The elder Uchiha, however, spectated the thriving nature and the night scenic view around them. Sure, there were crickets chirping and the occasional mosquito bites but the moon would shine through the clouds and fir tree branches ever so often and shed more light on what he saw as somewhat pleasant.

However,… "It's an unusual setting.."

Minato was giving him a straight look; he leaned against a tree for much needed support. He waited patiently.

"Are you..?" Fugaku was aghast with the thought of something so romantically improbable.

But Minato was quick to catch on and he face-palmed so hard, it echoed throughout the forest. "We're LOST, Fugaku."

The latter, straightened his form and turned away. "Of-Ofcourse we are."

Minato chuckled and followed behind him with weary footsteps. "We need a plan, you realise…"

"Nonsense, it may seem like we have reversed roles but…"

"It's all in good intentions? …Thoughts?"

"Don't go breaking walls, you fool!"

"What? There are no walls here, you old grump!"

And they both trotted off to an odd and mildly exciting adventure that you may or may not read about in the next chapter. Toodles!

* * *

**A/N: **Excuse the weird line breaks, I'll fix em, I promise. Apologies for the late update but I wanted y'all to read good stuff. I can't sleep knowing that I posted shitty stuff =_= Thenks. (Enjoy the cliffhangers)(heuheuehue)*cough* kbye.


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